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THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE   PANSY   BOOKS. 

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Judge  Burnham's  Daughters.  Those  Boys. 

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Side  by  Side.  "  We  Twelve  girls  " 

World  of  Little  People  (A). 


NORMAN   WAS    A   HANDSOME    BOY    WHEN   SHE   MARRIED   MK.    DECKER.    17 


Little  Fishers:  and  Their  Nets 


BT 

PANSY 


AUTHOR  OV  "CHBISTIZ'S  CHRISTMAS,"  "A  HEDGK  FENCE,"  "  GEB- 
TBUDE'S  DIABY,"  "THE  MAN  OF  THE  HOUSE,"  "INTER- 
RUPTED," "  THE  HALL  IN  THE  GBOVE,"  "  AN  ENDLESS 

CHAIN,"  "MRS.  SOLOMON  SMITH  LOOKING 

ON,"  "  FOUR  GIRLS  AT  CHAUTAUQUA," 

"  KUTH  ERSKINE'S  CROSSES," 

"  arm*  FROM  FACT," 

ETC.,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON 

D    LOTHROP    COMPANY 

FIUXKLIN  AJJD  HAWLEY  STREETS 


COPYRIGHT  1887 

BY 
LOTHROP  COMPANY 


P2, 

7 


CONTENTS. 


PACT. 

CHAPTER  I. 
THE  DECKERS'  HOME 7 

CHAPTER  II. 
BEGINNING  HER  LIFE 24 

CHAPTER  m. 
THE  TRUTH  is   TOLD 43 

CHAPTER  IV. 
NEW  FRIENDS 63 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  GREAT  UNDERTAKING 85 

CHAPTER  VL 

HOW   IT    SUCCEEDED 106 

CHAPTER  VII. 
LONG  STORIES   TO  TELL 125 

CHAPTER  VHI. 

A  SABBATH   TO   REMEMBER 143 

iii 


622707 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  BABGAIN  AND  A  PEOMISE 164 

CHAPTER  X. 
PLEASUBE  AND  DISAPPOINTMENT 179 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  COMPLETE   SUCCESS 204 

CHAPTER  XII. 

AN    UNEXPECTED     HELPEE 208 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   LITTLE   PlCTUEE    MAKEBS 240 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  CONCEET 257 

CHAPTER  XV. 
A  WILL  AND  A  WAT 271 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
AN  OEDEAL 288 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE   FLOWEE  PAETY 230 

CHAPTER  XVHI. 

A    SATISFACTOBY     EVENING 318 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
READY  TO  TBY  . .  .  .332 


CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER  XX. 
THE  WAT  MADE  PLAIN 349 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE   NEW   ENTERPRISE 363 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

TOO    GOOD    TO    BE    TRUE 380 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE   CROWNING  WONDER 398 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  PAST  AND  PRESENT 416 


Little  Fishers:  and  Their  Nets. 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  DECKERS'  HOME. 

TOE  DECKER  gave  his  chair  a  noisy  shove 
^  backward  from  the  table,  over  the  uneven 
floor,  shambled  across  the  space  between  it  and 
the  kitchen  door,  a  look  of  intense  disgust  on  his 
face,  then  stopped  for  his  good-morning  speech : 

"  You  may  as  well  know,  first  as  last,  that 
I've  sent  for  Nan.  I've  stood  this  kind  of 
thing  just  exactly  as  long  as  I'm  going  to. 
There  ain't  many  men,  I  can  tell  you,  who  would 
have  stood  it  so  long.  Such  a  meal  as  that! 
Ain't  fit  for  a  decent  dog  ! 

"Nan  is  coining  in  the  afternoon  stage. 
There  must  be  some  place  fixed  up  for  her  to 
sleep  in.  Understand,  now,  that  has  got  to  be 
done,  and  I  won't  have  no  words  about  it." 

Then  he  slammed  the  door,  and  went  away. 
7 


8  LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Yes,  he  was  talking  to  his  wife !  She  could 
remember  the  time  when  he  used  to  linger  in 
the  door,  talking  to  her,  so  many  last  words  to 
say,  and  when  at  last  lie  would  turn  away  with 
a  kind  "  Well,  good-by,  Mary !  Don't  work  too 
hard." 

But  that  seemed  ages  ago  to  the  poor  woman 
who  was  left  this  morning  in  the  wretched  lit- 
tle room  with  the  door  slammed  between  her 
and  her  husband.  She  did  not  look  as  though 
she  had  life  enough  left  to  make  words  about 
anything.  She  sat  in  a  limp  heap  in  one  of  the 
broken  chairs,  her  bared  arms  lying  between 
the  folds  of  a  soiled  and  ragged  apron. 

Not  an  old  woman,  yet  her  hair  was  gray,  and 
her  cheeks  were  faded,  and  her  eyes  looked  as 
though  they  had  not  closed  in  quiet  restful 
sleep  for  months.  She  had  not  combed  her  hair 
that  morning ;  and  thin  and  faded  as  it  was,  it 
hung  in  straggling  locks  about  her  face. 

I  don't  suppose  you  ever  saw  a  kitchen  just  like 
that  one !  It  was  heated,  not  only  by  the  fierce 
sun  which  streamed  in  at  the  two  uncurtained 
eastern  windows,  but  by  the  big  old  stove, 
which  could  smoke,  not  only,  and  throw  out  an 
almost  unendurable  heat  on  a  warm  morning 


THE  DECREES'  HOME.  9 

like  this,  when  heat  was  not  wanted,  but  had  a 
way  at  all  times  of  refusing  to  heat  the  oven, 
and  indeed  had  fits  of  sullenness  when  it  would 
not  "  draw  "  at  all. 

This  was  one  of  the  mornings  when  the  fire 
had  chosen  to  burn ;  it  had  swallowed  the  legs 
and  back  of  a  rickety  chair  which  the  mistress 
in  desperation  had  stuffed  in,  when  she  was 
waiting  for  the  teakettle  to  boil,  and  now  that 
there  was  nothing  to  boil,  or  fry,  and  no  need 
for  heat,  the  stump  of  wood,  wet  by  yesterday's 
rain,  had  dried  itself  and  chosen  to  burn. 

The  west  windows  opened  into  a  side  yard, 
and  the  sound  of  children's  voices  in  angry  dis- 
pute, and  the  smell  of  a  pigsty,  came  in  to- 
gether, and  seemed  equally  discouraging  to  the 
wilted  woman  in  the  chair. 

The  sun  was  already  pretty  high  in  the  sky, 
yet  the  breakfast-table  still  stood  in  the  middle 
of  the  room. 

I  don't  know  as  I  can  describe  that  table  to 
you.  It  was  a  square  one,  unpainted,  and 
stained  with  something  red,  and  something 
green,  and  spotted  with  grease,  and  spotted  with 
black,  rubbed  from  endless  hot  kettles  set  on 
it,  or  else  from  one  kettle  set  on  it  endless 


10          LITTLE    FISHEKS  I     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

times  ;  it  must  have  been  that  way,  for  now  that 
I  think  of  it,  there  was  but  one  kettle  in  that 
house.  No  tablecloth  covered  the  stains ;  there 
was  a  cracked  plate  which  held  a  few  crusts  of 
very  stale  bread,  and  a  teacup  about  a  third  full 
of  molasses,  in  which  several  flies  were  strug- 
gling. More  flies  covered  the  bread  crusts,  and 
swam  in  a  little  mess  of  what  had  been  butter, 
but  was  now  oil,  and  these  were  the  only  signs 
of  food. 

It  was  from  this  breakfast-table  that  the  man 
had  risen  in  disgust.  You  don't  wonder  ?  You 
think  it  was  enough  to  disgust  anybody  ?  That 
is  certainly  true,  but  if  the  man  had  only  stopped 
to  think  that  the  reason  it  presented  such  an 
appearance  was  because  he  had  steadily  drank 
up  all  that  ought  to  have  gone  on  it  during  the 
months  past,  perhaps  he  would  have  turned  his 
disgust  where  it  belonged  —  on  himself. 

The  woman  had  not  tried  to  eat  anything. 
She  had  given  the  best  she  had  to  the  husband 
and  son,  and  had  left  it  for  them.  She  was  very 
willing  to  do  so.  It  seemed  to  her  as  though 
she  never  could  eat  another  mouthful  of  any- 
thing. 

Can  you  think  of  her,  sitting  in  that  broken 


Til'  11 

chair  midway  betv  .ie  stove, 

the  heat  from  the  stove  v.-  '  >  her  face, 

the  heat  from  the  sun  pouring  full  on  her  back, 
hei  straggling  hair  silvery  in  the  sunlight,  her 
short,  faded  calico  dress  frayed  about  the  ankles, 
her  leet  showing  plainly  from  the  holes  of  the 
slipper"  into  which  they  were  thrust,  her  hands 
folded  about  the  soiled  apron,  and  such  a  look 
of  utter  hopeless  sorrow  on  her  face  as  cannot 
be  described  ? 

No,  I  hope  you  cannot  imagine  a  woman  like 
her,  and  will  never  see  one  to  help  you  paint  the 
picture.  And  yet  I  don't  know;  since  there 
are  such  women  —  scores  of  them,  thousands  of 
them — why  should  you  not  know  about  them, 
and  begin  now  to  plan  ways  of  helping  them  out 
of  these  kitchens,  and  out  of  these  sorrows  ? 

Mrs.  Decker  rose  up  presently,  and  staggered 
toward  the  table ;  a  dim  idea  of  trying  to  clear 
it  off,  and  put  things  in  something  like  order, 
struggled  with  the  faintness  she  felt.  She 

oo 

picked  up  two  plates,  sticky  with  molasses,  and 
having  a  piece  of  pork  rind  on  one,  and  set 
them  into  each  other.  She  poured  a  slop  of 
weak  tea  from  one  cracked  cup  into  another 
cracked  cup,  her  face  growing  paler  the  while. 


12         LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND   THEIR   NETS. 

Suddenly  she  clutched  at  the  table,  and  but  for 
its  help,  would  have  fallen.  There  was  just 
strength  enough  left  to  help  her  back  to  the 
rickety  chair.  Once  there,  she  dropped  into 
the  same  utterly  hopeless  position,  and  though 
there  was  no  one  to  listen,  spoke,  her  sorrowful 
thoughts. 

"It's  no  use  ;  I  must  just  give  up.  I'm  done 
for,  and  that's  the  truth !  I've  been  expecting 
it  all  alonsr,  and  now  it's  come.  I  couldn't  clear 

O' 

up  here  and  get  them  any  dinner,  not  if  he 
should  kill  me,  and  I  don't  know  but  that  will 
be  the  next  thing.  I've  slaved  and  slaved;  if 
anybody  ever  tried  to  do  something  with  noth- 
ing, I'm  the  one  ;  and  now  I'm  done.  I've  just 
got  to  lie  down,  and  stay  there,  till  I  die.  I 
wish  I  could  die.  If  I  could  do  it  quick,  and  be 
done  with  it,  I  wouldn't  care  how  soon ;  but  it 
would  be  awful  to  lie  there  and  see  things  go 
on ;  oh,  dear  ! " 

She  lifted  up  her  poor  bony  hands  and  covered 
her  face  with  them  and  shook  as  though  she 
was  crying.  But  she  shed  no  tears.  The  truth 
is,  her  poor  eyes  were  tired  of  crying.  It  was 
a  good  while  since  any  tears  had  come.  After 
a  few  minutes  she  went  on  with  her  story. 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  13 

"It  isn't  enough  that  we  are  naked,  and  half- 
starved,  and  things  growing  worse  every  day, 
but  now  that  Nan  must  come  and  make  one 
more  torment.  *  Fix  a  place  for  her  to  sleep  ! ' 
Where,  I  wonder,  and  what  with?  It  is  too 
much !  Flesh  and  blood  can't  bear  any  more. 
If  ever  a  woman  did  her  best  I  have,  and  done 
it  with  nothing,  and  got  no  thanks  for  it ;  now 
I've  got  to  the  end  of  my  rope.  If  I  have, 
strength  enough  to  crawl  back  into  bed,  it  is  all 
there  is  left  of  me." 

But  for  all  that,  she  tried  to  do  something 
else.  Three  times  she  mad.e  an  effort  to  clear 
away  the  few  dirty  things  on  t'jat  dirty  table, 
and  each  time  felt  the  deadly  faintness  creeping 
over  her,  which  sent  her  back  frightened  to  the 
chair.  The  children  came  in,  crying,  and  she 
tried  to  untie  a  string  for  one,  and  find  a  pin 
for  the  other ;  but  her  fingers  trembled  so  that 
the  knot  grew  harder,  and  not  even  a  pin  was 
left  for  her  to  give  them,  and  she  finally  lost  all 
patience  with  their  cross  little  ways  and  gave 
each  a  slap  and  an  order  not  to  come  in  the 
house  again  that  forenoon. 

The  door  was  ajar  into  the  most  discouraged 
looking  bedroom  that  you  can  think  of.  It  was 


14      LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

not  simply  that  the  bed  was  unmade;  the 
truth  is,  the  clothes  were  so  ragged  that  you 
would  have  thought  they  could  not  be  touched 
without  falling  to  pieces ;  and  they  were  badly 
stained  and  soiled,  the  print  of  grimy  little 
hands  being  all  over  them.  Partly  pushed  under, 
out  of  sight,  was  a  trundle-bed,  that,  if  any- 
thing, looked  more  repulsive  than  the  large  one. 
There  was  an  old  barrel  in  the  corner,  with  a 
rough  board  over  it,  and  a  chair  more  rickety 
than  either  of  those  in  the  kitchen,  and  this  was 
the  only  furniture  there  was  in  that  room. 

The  only  bright  thing  there  was  in  it  was  the 
sunshine,  for  there  was  an  east  window  in  this 
room,  and  the  curtain  was  stretched  as  high  as 
it  could  be.  To  the  eyes  of  the  poor  tired 
woman  who  presently  dragged  herself  into  this 
room,  the  light  and  the  heat  from  the  sun  seemed 
more  than  she  could  bear,  and  she  tugged  at  the 
brown  paper  curtain  so  fiercely  that  it  tore  half 
across,  but  she  got  it  down,  and  then  she  fell 
forward  among  the  rags  of  the  bed  with  a 

O  O 

groan. 

Poor  Mrs.  Decker !  I  wonder  if  you  have  not 
imagined  all  her  sorrowful  story  without  another 
word  from  me ! 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  15 

It  is  such  an  old  story;  and  it  has  been  told 
over  so  many  times,  that  ail  the  children  in 
America  know  it  by  heart. 

Yes ;  she  was  the  wife  of  a  drunkard.  Not 
that  Joe  Decker  called  himself  a  drunkard  ;  the 
most  that  he  ever  admitted  was  that  he  some- 
times took  a  drop  too  much  !  I  don't  think  he 
had  the  least  idea  how  many  times  in  a  month 
he  reeled  home,  unable  to  talk  straight,  unable 
to  help  himself  to  his  wretched  bed. 

I  don't  suppose  he  knew  that  his  brain  was 
never  free  from  the  effects  of  alcohol-;  but  his 
wife  knew  it  only  too  well.  She  knew  that  he 
was  always  cross  and  sullen  now,  when  he  was 
not  fierce,  and  she  knew  that  this  was  not  his 
natural  disposition.  No  one  need  explain  to  her 
how  alcohol  would  effect  a  man's  nature ;  she 
had  watched  her  husband  change  from  month  to 
month,  and  she  knew  that  he  was  growing  worse 

* 

every  day. 

There  was  another  sorrow  in  this  sad  woman's 
heart.  She  had  one  boy  who  was  nearly  ten 
years  old,  when  she  married  Mr.  Decker ;  and 
people  had  said  to  her  often  and  often,  "  What 
a  handsome  boy  you  have,  Mrs.  Lloyd ;  he  ought 
to  have  been  a  girl."  And  the  first  time  she 


16      LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

had  felt  any  particular  interest  in  Joe  Decker 
was  when  he  made  her  boy  a  kite,  and  showed 
him  how  to  fly  it,  and  gave  him  one  bright  even- 
ing, such  as  fathers  give  their  boys.  This  boy's 
father  had  died  when  he  was  a  baby,  and  the 
Widow  Lloyd  had  struggled  on  alone ;  caring  for 
him,  keeping  him  neatly  dressed,  sending  him 
to  school  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough,  bringing 
him  up  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  often  and 
often  said  in  the  village,  "  What  a  nice  boy  that 
Norman  Lloyd  is!  A  credit  to  his  mother! 
And  the  mother  had  sat  and  sewed,  in  the  even- 
ings when  Norman  was  in  bed,  and  thought 
over  the  things  that  fathers  could  do  for  boys 
which  mothers  could  not ;  and  then  thought  that 

f  O 

there  were  things  which  mothers  could  do  for 
girls  that  fathers  could  not,  and  Mr.  Joseph 
Decker,  the  carpenter,  had  a  little  girl,  she  had 
Ijeen  told,  only  a  few  years  younger  than  her 
Norman.  And  so,  when  Mr.  Decker  had  made 
kites,  not  only,  but  little  sail  boats,  and  once,  a 
little  table  for  Norman  to  put  his  school  books 
on,  with  a  drawer  in  it  for  his  writing-book  and 
pencil,  and  when  he  had  in  many  kind  and  manly 
ways  won  her  heart,  this  respectable  widow  who 
had  for  ten  years  earned  her  own  and  her  boy's 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  17 

living,  married  him,  and  went  to  keep  his  home 
for  him,  and  planned  as  to  the  kind  and  moth- 
erly things  which  she  would  do  for  his  little  girl 
when  she  came  home. 

Alas  for  plans !  She  knew,  this  foolish  wo- 
man, that  Mr.  Decker  sometimes  took  a  drink  of 
beer  with  his  noon  meal,  and  again  at  night,  per- 
haps ;  but  she  said  to  herself,  "  No  wonder,  poor 
man  ;  always  having  to  eat  his  dinner  out  of  a 
pail !  No  home,  and  no  woman  to  see  that  he 
had  things  nice  and  comfortable.  She  would 
risk  but  what  he  would  stay  at  home,  when  he 
had  one  to  stay  in,  and  like  a  bit  of  beefsteak 
better  than  the  beer,  any  day." 

She  had  not  calculated  as  to  the  place  which 
the  beer  held  in  his  heart.  Neither  had  he.  He 
was  astonished  to  find  that  it  was  not  easy  to 
give  it  up,  even  when  Mary  wanted  him  to.  He 
was  astonished  at  first  \o  discover  how  often  he 
was  thirsty  with  a  thirst  that  nothing  but  beer 
would  satisfy.  I  have  not  time  for  all  the  story. 
The  beer  was  not  given  up,  the  habit  grew 
stronger  and  stronger,  and  steadily,  though  at 
first  slowly,  the  Deckers  went  down.  From 
being  one  of  the  best  workmen  in  town,  Mr. 
Decker  dropped  down  to  the  level  of  "  Old  Joe 


18          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Decker,"  whom  people  would  not  employ  if  they 
could  get  anybody  else.  The  little  girl  had 
never  come  home  save  for  a  short  visit ;  at  first 
the  new  mother  was  sorry,  then  she  was  glad. 

As  the  days  passed,  her  heart  grew  heavier 
and  heavier ;  a  horrible  fear  which  was  almost 
a  certainty,  had  now  gotten  hold  of  her  —  that 
her  handsome,  manly  Norman  was  going  to  copy 
the  father  she  had  given  him  !  Poor  mother ! 

I  would  not,  if  I  could,  describe  to  you  all  the 
miseries  of  that  long  day  !  How  the  mother  lay 
and  tossed  on  that  miserable  bed,  and  burned 
with  fever  and  groaned  with  pain.  How  the 
children  quarreled  and  cried,  and  ran  into 
mother,  and  cried  again  because  she  could  give 
them  no  attention,  and  made  up,  and  ran  out 
again  to  play,  and  quarreled  again.  How  the 
father  came  home  at  noon,  more  under  the  in- 
fluence of  liquor  than  he  had  been  in  the  morn- 
ing;  and  swore  at  the  table  still  standing  as  he 
had  left  it  at  breakfast  time,  and  swore  at  his 
wife  for  "  lying  in  bed  and  sulking,  instead  of 
doing  her  work  like  a  decent  woman,"  and  swore 
at  his  children  for  crying  with  hunger;  and 
finally  divided  what  remained  of  the  bread  be- 
tween them,  and  went  off  himself  to  a  saloon, 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  19 

where  he  spent  twenty-five  cents  for  his  dinner, 
and  fifty  cents  for  liquor.  How  Norman  came 
home,  and  looked  about  the  deserted  kitchen  and 
empty  cupboard,  and  looked  in  at  his  mother, 
and  said  he  was  sorry  she  had  a  headache,  and 
sighed,  and  wished  that  he  had  a  decent  home 
like  other  fellows,  and  wished  that  a  doctor 
could  be  found,  who  didn't  want  more  money 
than  he  was  worth,  to  pay  him  for  coming  to  see/ 
a  sick  woman,  and  then  went  to  a  bakery  and 
bought  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  a  piece  of  cheese, 
and  having  munched  these,  washed  them  down 
with  several  glasses  of  beer,  went  back  to  his 
work.  Meantime,  the  playing  and  the  quarrel- 
ing, and  the  crying,  went  on  outside,  and  Mrs. 
Decker  continued  to  sleep  her  heavy,  feverish 
sleep. 

Several  times  she  wakened  in  a  bewilderment 
of  fever  and  pain,  and  groaned,  and  tried  to  get 
up,  and  fell  back  and  groaned  again,  and  lost  her 
misery  in  another  unnaturally  heavy  sleep,  and 
the  day  wore  away  until  it  was  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  stages  would  be  due  in  a  few 
minutes  —  the  one  that  brought  passengers  over 
from  the  railroad  j  unction  a  mile  away.  The  chil- 
dren in  the  yard  did  not  know  that  one  of  them 


20         LITTLE    FISHERS  :     A1STD    THEIR   NETS. 

was  expected  to  stop  at  their  house ;  and  the 
father  when  he  came  home  at  noon  had  been 
drinking  too  much  liquor  to  remember  it ;  and 
Norman  had  not  heard  of  it,  and  for  his  mother's 
sake  would  have  been  too  angry  to  have  met  it  if 
he  had;  so  Nan  was  coming  home  with  nobody 
to  welcome  her. 

If  you  had  seen  her  sitting  at  that  moment,  a 
trim  little  maiden  in  the  stage,  her  face  all 
flushed  over  the  prospect  of  seeing  father,  and 
the  rest,  in  a  few  minutes,  you  would  not  have 
thought  it  possible  that  she  could  belong  to  the 
Decker  family. 

She  had  not  seen  her  home  in  seven  years. 
She  had  been  a  little  thing  of  six  when  she  went 
away  with  the  Marshall  family. 

It  had  all  come  about  naturally.  Mrs.  Mar- 
shall was  their  neighbor,  and  had  known  her 
mother  from  childhood;  and  when  she  died  had 
carried  the  motherless  little  girl  home  with  her 
to  stay  until  Mr.  Decker  decided  what  to  do ; 
and  he  was  slow  in  deciding,  and  Mrs.  Marshall 
had  a  family  of  boys,  but  no  little  girl,  and  held 
the  motherless  one  tenderly  for  her  mother's 
sake ;  and  when  the  Marshalls  suddenly  had  an 
offer  of  business  which  made  it  necessary  for 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  21 

them  to  move  to  the  city,  they  clung  to  the  lit- 
tle girl,  and  proposed  to  Mr.  Decker  that  she 
should  go  with  them  and  stay  until  he  had  a 
place  for  her  again.  •; 

Apparently  he  had  not  found  a  place  for  her 
in  all  these  seven  years,  for  she  had  never  been 
sent  for  to  come  home. 

The  new  wife  had  wanted  her  at  first,  to  be 
mother  to  her,  as  she  fancied  Mr.  Decker  was 
going  to  be  father  to  her  boy.  But  it  did  not 
take  her  very  many  months  to  get  her  eyes 
open  to  the  thought  that  perhaps  the  girl  would 
be  better  off  away  from  her  father ;  and  of  late 
years  she  had  looked  on  the  possible  home-com- 
ing with  positive  terror.  Her  own  little  ones 
had  nothing  to  eat,  sometimes,  save  what  Nor- 
man provided ;  and  if  "  he  "  —  and  by  this  Mrs. 
Decker  meant  her  husband;  he  had  ceased  to 
be  "  Mr.  Decker "  to  her,  or  "  Joseph,"  or  even 
Joe — if  "he"  should  take*  a  notion  to  turn 
against  the  girl,  life  would  be  more  terrible  to 
them  in  every  way ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  if 
he  should  fancy  her,  and  because  of  her,  turn 
more  against  the  wife,  or  Norman,  what  would 
become  of  them  then  ? 

So  the  years  had  passed,  and  beyond  an  occa- 


22         LITTLE    FISHERS  :    AND    THEIK   NETS. 

sional  threat  when  Joe  Decker  was  at  his  worst, 
to  "send  for  Nan  right  straight  off,"  nothing 
had  been  said  of  her  home-coming.  The  threat 
had  come  oftener  of  late,  for  Joe  Decker  had 
discovered  that  there  was  just  now  nothing  that 
his  wife  dreaded  more  than  the  presence  of  this 
step-daughter  ;  and  his  present  manly  mood  was 
to  do  all  he  could  for  the  discomfort  of  his  wife ! 
That  was  one  of  the  elevating  thoughts  which 
liquor  had  given  him  ! 

Three  o'clock.  The  stages  came  rattling 
down  the  stony  road.  Few  people  who  lived  on 
this  street  had  much  to  do  with  the  stage  ;  they 
could  not  afford  to  ride,  and  they  did  not  belong 
to  the  class  who  had  much  company. 

So  when  the  heavy  carriages  kept  straight  on, 
instead  of  turning  the  corner  below,  it  brought 
a  swarm  of  children  from  the  various  dooryards 
to  see  who  was  coming,  and  where. 

"It's  stopped  at  Decker's,  as  true  as  I  live! " 
said  Mrs.  Job  Smith,  peeping  out  of  her  clean 
pantry  window  to  get  a  view.  "I  heard  that 
Joe  had  sent  for  little  Nan,  but  I  hoped  it  wasn't 
true.  Poor  Nan  !  if  the  Marshalls  have  treated 
her  with  any  kind  of  decency,  it'll  be  a  dreadful 
change,  and  I'm  sorry  enough  for  her.  Yes, 


THE  DECKERS'  HOME.  23 

that  must  be  Nan  getting  out.  She's  got  the 
very  same  bright  eyes,  but  she  has  grown  a  sight, 
to  be  sure!"  Which  need  not  have  seemed 
strange  to  Mrs.  Smith,  if  she  had  stopped  to 
remember  that  seven  years  had  passed  since  Nan 
went  away. 

The  little  woman  got  down  with  a  brisk  step 
from  the  stage,  and  watched  her  trunk  set  in  the 
doorway,  and  got  out  her  red  pocket-book,  and 
paid  the  fare,  and  then  looked  about  her  doubt- 
fully. Could  this  be  home  J 


CHAPTER  II. 

BEGINNING    HER   LIFE. 

QIHE  did  not  remember  anything,  but  the 
^— '  yard  was  very  dirty,  and  the  fence  was 
tumbling  down,  and  there  were  lights  of  glass 
out  of  the  windows,  and  a  general  air  of  discom- 
fort prevailed.  It  did  not  look  like  a  home. 
Besides,  where  were  father  and  mother?  There 
must  be  some  mistake. 

The  two  little  Deckers  who  had  played  and 
quarreled  together  all  day  had  left  their  work 
to  come  and  stare  at  the  new  comer  out  of  as- 
tonished eyes.  Certainly  they  did  not  seem  to 
have  been  expecting  her. 

The  new  comer  turned  to  the  elder  of  the  two 
children,  and  spoke  in  a  gentle  winning  voice  : 
"Little  girl,  do  you  live  here —  in  this  house?" 

The  child  with  her  forefinger  placed  medita- 
tively on  her  lip,  and  her  bright  eyes  staring  in- 
tensely, decided  to  nod  that  she  did. 
24 


BEGINNING    HER   LIFE.  25 

"  And  can  you  tell  me  what  your  name  is  ?  " 

To  this  question  there  was  no  answer  for  sev- 
eral seconds,  then  she  thought  better  of  it  and 
gravely  said  :  "  I  could." 

This  seemed  so  funny,  that  poor  Nan,  though 
by  this  time  carrying  a  very  sad  heart,  could  not 
help  smiling. 

"  Well,  will  you?"  she  asked. 

But  at  this  the  tangled  yellow  head  was 
shaken  violently.  No,  she  wouldn't. 

"It  can't  be,"  said  Nan,  talking  to  herself, 
since  there  was  no  one  who  would  talk  with  her, 
looking  with  troubled  eyes  at  the  two  uncombed, 
unwashed  children,  with  their  dresses  half  torn 
from  them,  and  dirtier  than  any  dresses  that 
this  trim  little  maiden  had  ever  seen  before, 
"  this  really  cannot  be  the  place  !  and  yet  father 
said  this  street  and  number ;  and  the  driver  said 
this  was  right."  Then  she  stooped  to  the  little 
one.  "  "Won't  you  tell  me  if  your  name  is  Satie 
Decker?" 

But  this  one  was  shy,  and  hid  her  dirty  face 
in  her  dirty  hands,  and  stepped  back  behind  her 
sister  who  at  once  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  Yes,  'tis,"  she  said,  "  and  you  let  her  alone." 

A  shadow  fell  over  Nan's  face,  but  she  said 


26         LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

quickly,  "  Then  you  must  be  Susie  Decker,  and 
this  place  is  really  home  !  " 

But  you  cannot  think  how  strangely  it  sounded 
to  her  to  call  such  a  looking  spot  as  this  home. 
There  was  no  use  in  standing  on  the  doorstep. 
She  could  feel  that  curious  eyes  were  peeping 
at  her  from  neighbors'  windows.  She  stepped 
quickly  inside  the  half-open  door,  into  the  kitchen 
where  that  breakfast-table  still  stood,  with  the 
flies  so  thick  around  the  molasses  cup,  from 
which  the  children  had  long  since  drained  the 
molasses,  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  whether 
there  was  a  cup  behind  it,  or  whether  this  really 
was  a  pyramid  of  flies. 

The  children  followed  her  in.  Susie  had  a 
dark  frown  on  her  face,  and  a  determined  air, 
as  one  who  meant  to  stand  up  for  her  rights  and 
protect  the  little  sister  who  still  tried  to  hide 
behind  her.  I  think  it  was  well  they  were  there  ; 
had  they  not  been,  I  feel  almost  sure  that  the 
stranger  would  have  sat  down  in  the  first  chair 
and  cried. 

Poor  little  woman  !  It  was  such  a  sorrowful 
home-coming  to  her.  So  different  from  what 
she  had  been  planning  all  day. 

I  wish  I  could  give  you  a  real  true  picture  of 


BEGINNING    HER   LIFE.  27 

her  as  she  stood  in  the  middle  of  that  dreadful 
room,  trying  to  choke  back  the  tears  while  she 
convinced  herself  that  she  was  really  Nettie 
Decker.  A  trim  little  figure  in  a  brown  and 
white  gingham  dress,  a  brown  straw  hat  trimmed 
with  broad  bands  and  ends  of  satin  ribbon,  with 
brown  gloves  on  her  hands,  and  a  ruffle  in  her 
neck.  This  was  Nettie  Decker ;  neat  and  or- 
derly, from  ruffle  to  buttoned  boots.  I  wonder  if 
you  can  think  what  a  strange  contrast  she  was 
to  everything  around  her  ? 

What  was  to  be  done?  she  could  not  stand 
there,  gazing  about  her;  and  there  seemed  no 
place  to  sit  down,  and  nowhere  to  go.  Where 
could  father  be?  Why  had  he  not  stayed  at 
home  to  welcome  his  little  girl?  or  if  too  busy 
for  that,  surely  the  mother  could  have  stayed, 
and  he  must  have  left  a  message  for  her. 

If  the  little  girls  would  only  be  good  and  try 
to  tell  her  what  all  this  strangeness  meant !  She 
made  another  effort  to  get  into  their  confidence. 
She  bent  toward  Susie,  smiling  as  brightly  as 
she  could,  and  said  :  "  Didn't  you  know,  little 
girlie,  that  I  was  your  sister  Nettie?  I  have 
come  home  to  play  with  you  and  help  you  have 
a  nice  time." 


28          LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Even  while  she  said  it,  she  felt  ten  years  older 
than  she  ever  had  before,  and  she  wondered  if 
she  should  ever  play  anything  again  ;  and  if  it 
could  be  possible  for  people  to  have  nice  times 
who  lived  in  such  a  house  as  this.  But  Susie 
was  in  no  sense  won,  and  scowled  harder  than 
ever,  as  she  said  in  a  suspicious  tone  :  "  I  ain't 
got  no  sister  Nettie,  only  Sate,  and  Nan." 

Hot  as  the  room  was,  the  neat  little  girl  shiv- 
ered. There  was  something  dreadful  to  her  in 
the  sound  of  that  name.  She  had  forgotten  that 
she  ever  used  to  hear  it ;  she  remembered  her 
father  as  having  called  her '  Nannie ' ;  that  would 
do  very  well,  though  it  was  not  so  pleasant  to 
her  as  the  '  Nettie  '  to  which  she  had  been  an- 
swering for  seven  years. 

But  how  strange  and  sad  it  was  that  these 
little  sisters  should  have  been  taught  to  call  her 
Nan !  could  there  be  a  more  hateful  name  than 
that,  she  wondered.  Did  it  mean  that  her  step- 
mother hated  her,  and  had  taught  the  children 
to  do  so?  She  swallowed  at. the  lump  in  her 
throat.  What  if  she  should  cry  !  what  would 
those  children  say  or  do,  and  what  would  hap- 
pen next  ?  she  must  try  to  explain. 

"  iam  Nannie,"  she  couldn't  make  her  lips  say 


BEGINNING    HER   LITE.  29 

the  word  Nan.  "  I  have  come  home  to  live,  and 
to  help  you!"  She  did  not  feel  like  saying 
"  play  with  you,"  now.  "  Will  you  be  a  good 
girl,  and  let  me  love  you?" 

How  Susie  scowled  at  her  then  !  "  No,"  she 
said,  firmly,  "  I  won't." 

There  seemed  to  be  no  truthful  answer  to 
make  to  this,  for  in  the  botton  of  her  heart,  Nan- 
nie did  not  believe  that  she  could.  Still,  she 
must  make  the  best  of  it,  and  she  began  slowly 
to  draw  off  her  gloves.  Clearly  she  must  do 
something  towards  getting  herself  settled. 

"Won't  you  tell  me  where  father  is?  or 
mother?"  her  voice  faltered  a  little  over  that 
word ;  "  maybe  you  can  show  me  where  to  put 
my  trunk;  do  you  know  which  is  to  be  my 
room  ?  " 

There  were  pauses  made  between  each  of 
these  questions.  The  poor  little  stranger  seemed 
to  be  trying  first  one  form  and  then  another,  to 
see  if  it  was  possible  to  get  any  help. 

Susie  decided  at  last  to  do  something  besides 
scowl. 

"  Mother's  sick.  She  lies  in  bed  and  groans 
all  the  time.  She  ain't  got  us  no  dinner  to-day ; 
Sate  and  me  called  her,  and  called  her,  and,  she 


30          LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

wouldn't  say  anything  to  us.  There  ain't  no 
room  only  this  and  that,"  nodding  her  head 
toward  the  bedroom  door,  "  and  the  room  over 
the  shed  where  Norm  sleeps.  Norm  is  hateful. 
He  didn't  brins:  home  no  bread  this  noon  for 

o 

Sate  and  me ;  and  he  said  maybe  he  would  f 
we're  awful  hungry." 

"  Perhaps  he  couldn't,"  said  poor  startled  Net- 
tie. She  hardly  knew  what  she  said,  only  it 
seemed  natural  to  try  to  'excuse  Norm.  But 
what  dreadful  story  was  this !  If  there  was 
really  a  sick  mother,  why  was  not  the  father 
bending  over  her,  and  the  house  hushed  and 
darkened,  and  somebody  tiptoeing  about,  plan- 
ning comforts  for  the  night?  She  had  seen 
something  of  sickness,  and  this  was  the  way  it 
was  managed. 

Then  what  was  this  about  there  being  no  room 
for  her  ?  Then  what  in  the  world  was  she  to  do? 
Oh,  what  did  it  all  mean !  She  felt  as  though 
she  must  run  right  back  to  the  depot,  and  get  on 
the  cars  and  go  to  her  own  dear  home.  To  be 
sure  she  knew  that  her  father  was  poor ;  what 
of  that  ?  so  were  the  Marshalls ;  she  had  heard 
Mrs.  Marshall  say  many  a  time 'that  "poor  folks 
can't  have  such  things,"  in  answer  to  some  of 


BEGINNING    HER   LIFE.  31 

the  children's  coaxings.  But  poverty  such  as 
this  which  seemed  to  surround  this  home  was 
utterly  strange  to  Nettie.  • 

Still,  though  she  felt  such  a  child,  she  was 
also  a  woman ;  in  some  things  at  least.  She 
knew  there  was  no  going  home  for  her  to-night. 
If  she  had  the  money  to  go  with,  and  if  there 
had  been  a  train  to  go  on,  she  would  still  have 
been  stayed,  because  it  would  be  wrong  to 
go.  Her  father  had  sent  for  her,  had  said  that 
they  wanted  her,  needed  her,  and  her  father  cer- 
tainly had  a  right  to  her;  and  she  had  come 
away  with  a  full  heart,  and  a  firm  resolve  to  be 
as  good  and  as  helpful  and  as  happy  in  her  old 
home  as  she  possibly  could.  And  now  that 
nothing  anywhere  was  as  she  had  expected  it, 
was  no  reason  why  she  should  not  still  do  right. 
Only,  what  was  there  for  her  to  do,  and  how 
should  she  begin  ? 

She  stood  there  still  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  the  children  staring.  Presently  she  crossed 
on  tiptoe  to  the  bedroom  door  which  was  partly 
open  and  peeped  in,  catching  her  first  glimpse  of 
the  woman  whom  she  must  call  "  mother." 

Also  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  that  dreadful 
bed  ;  and  the  horrors  of  that  sight  almost  took 


32       LITTLE  FISHERS:    AND  THEIR  NETS. 

away  the  thought  of  the  woman  lying  on  it. 
How  could  she  help  being  sick  if  she  had  to  sleep 
in  such  a  place  as  that  ?  Poor  Nettie  Decker ! 
She  stood  and  looked,  and  looked.  Then  seeing 
that  the  woman  did  not  stir,  but  seemed  to  be 
in  a  heavy  sleep,  she  shut  the  door  softly  and 
came  away. 

I  don't  suppose  that  Nettie  Decker  will  ever 
forget  the  next  three  hours  of  her  life,  even  if 
she  lives  to  be  an  old  woman.  Not  that  any- 
thing wonderful  happened  ;  only  that,  for  years 
and  years  afterwards,  it  seemed  to  her  that  she 
grew  suddenly,  that  afternoon,  from  a  happy- 
hearted  little  girl  of  thirteen,  into  a  care-taking, 
sorrowful  woman.  While  she  stood  in  that  bed- 
room door,  a  perfect  whirl  of  thoughts  rushed 
through  her  brain,  and  when  she  shut  the  door, 
she  had  come  to  this  conclusion  : 

"I  can't  help  it;  I  am  Nettie  Decker;  he  is 
my  father,  and  I  belong  to  him,  and  I  ought  to 
be  here  if  he  wants  me ;  and  she  is  my  mother; 
and  if  it  is  dreadful,  I  can't  help  it ;  there  is 
everything  to  do ;  and  I  must  do  it." 

It  was  then  that  she  shut  the  door  softly  and 
went  back  and  began  her  life. 

There  was  that  trunk  out  on  the  stoop.     It 


BEGLSTNTffG    HEK   LIFE.  33 

ought  to  go  somewhere.  At  least  she  could  drag 
it  into  the  kitchen  so  that  the  troops  of  children 
gathering  about  the  door  need  not  have  it  to 
wonder  at  any  longer.  Putting  all  her  strength 
to  it  she  drew  it  in  and  shut  the  door.  By  this 
time,  Sate,  who  was  getting  used  to  her  as  she 
had  gotten  used  to  many  a  new  thing  in  her  lit- 
tle life,  began  to  wail  that  she  was  hungry,  and 
wanted  some  bread  and  some  molasses. 

"  Poor  little  girlie ! "  Nettie  said, "  don't  cry ; 
I'll  see  if  I  can  find  you  something  to  eat.'  Did 
she  really  have  no  dinner,  Susie?  Oh,  darling, 
don't  cry  so ;  you  will  trouble  poor  mother." 

But  Susie  had  gone  back  to  the  scowling  mood. 
"  She  shall  cry,  if  she  wants  to  ;  you  can't  stop 
her;  and  you  needn't  try;  I'll  cry  too,  just  as 
loud  as  I  can." 

And  Susie  Decker  who  had  strong  lungs  and 

o  o 

always  did  as  she  said  she  would,  immediately 
set  up  such  a  howl  as  put  Sate's  milder  crying 
quite  in  the  shade. 

Nettie  looked  over  at  the  bedroom  door  in 
dismay ;  but  no  sound  came  from  there.  Yet 
this  roaring  was  fearful.  How  could  it  be  stopped  ? 
Suddenly  she  plunged  her  hand  into  the  depths 
of  a  small  travelling  bag  which  still  hung  on  her 


34         LITTLE    FISHERS:    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

arm,  and  brought  forth  a  lovely  red-cheeked 
peach.  She  held  it  before  the  eyes  of  the  naughty 
couple  and  spoke  in  a  determined  tone  :  "  This 
is  for  the  one  who  stops  crying  this  instant." 

Both  children  stopped  as  suddenly  as  though 
they  had  been  wound  up,  and  the  machinery  had 
run  down. 

Nettie  smiled,  and  went  back  into  the  trav- 
elling bag.  "  There  must  be  two  of  them,  it 
seems,"  she  said,  and  brought  out  another  peach. 
"  Now*  you  are  to  sit  down  on  the  steps  and  eat 
them,  while  I  see  what  can  be  found  for  our 
supper." 

Down  sat  the  children.  There  had  been 
quiet  determination  in  this  new-comer's  tone, 
and  peaches  were  not  to  be  trifled  with.  Their 
mouths  had  watered  for  a  taste  ever  since  the 
dear  woolly  things  began  to  appear  in  the  gro- 
cery windows,  and  not  one  had  they  had ! 

Now  began  work  indeed.  Nettie  opened  her 
trunk  and  drew  out  a  work  apron  which  covered 
her  dress  from  throat  to  shoes,  and  made  her 
look  if  anything,  prettier  than  before.  Where 
was  the  broom?  The  children  busy  with  their 
peaches,  neither  knew  nor  cared  ;  however,  a 
vigorous  search  among  the  rubbish  in  the  shed 


BEGINNING    HER   LIFE.  35 

brought  one  to  light.  And  then  there  was  such 
a  cloud  of  dust  as  the  Decker  kitchen  had  not 
seen  in  a  long  time.  Then  came  a  visit  to  the 
back  yard  in  search  of  chips  ;  both  children  fol- 
lowing close  at  her  heels,  saying  nothing,  but 
watching  every  movement  with  wide-open  won- 
dering eyes.  Back  again  to  the  kitchen  and  the 
fire  was  made  up.  Then  an  old  kettle  was 
dragged  out  from  a  hole  in  the  corner,  which 
poor  Mrs.  Decker  called  a  closet.  It  was  to  hold 
water,  while  the  fire  healed  it,  but  first  it  must 
be  washed  ;  everything  must  be  washed  that 
was  touched.  Where  was  the  dishcloth  ? 

The  children  being  asked,  stared  and  shook 
their  heads.  Nettie  searched.  She  found  at 
last  a  rag  so  black  and  ill-smelling  that  without 
giving  the  matter  much  thought  she  opened  the 
stove  door  and  thrust  it  in.  This  brought  a  re- 
buke from  the  fierce  Susie. 

"You  better  look  out  how  you  burn  up  my 
mother's  things.  My  mother  will  take  your 
head  right  off." 

"  It  wasn't  good  for  anything,  dear,"  Nettie 
said  soothingly,  "  it  was  too  dirty."  'And  she 
stooped  down  and  turned  over  the  contents  of 
the  trunk.  Neat  little  piles  of  clothing,  carefully 


86         LITTLE   FISHEKS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

marked  with  her  full  name ;  a  pretty  green  box 
which  Susie  'dived  for,  and  pushing  off  the  cover 
disclosed  little  white  ruffles,  some  of  lace,  and 
some  of  fine  lawn,  lying  cosily  together ;  but 
Nettie  was  not  searching  for  such  as  these. 
Quite  at  the  bottom  of  the  trunk  was  a  pile  of 
towels,  all  neatly  hemmed  and  marked.  Two 
of  these  she  selected ;  looked  thoughtfully  at 
one  of  them  for  a  moment,  and  then  with  a 
grave  shake  of  her  head,  got  out  her  scissors  and 
snipped.it  in  two.  Now  she  had  a  dishcloth,  and 
a  towel  for  drying.  But  what  a  pity  to  soil  the 
nice  white  cloth  by  washing  out  that  iron  kettle  ! 
Nettie  had  grave  suspicions  that  after  such  a 
proceeding  it  would  not  be  fit  for  the  dishes. 
Still,  the  kettle  must  be  washed,  and  to  have 
used  the  black  rag  which  she  had  burned,  was 
out  of  the  question. 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  the  other  neat  dish- 
cloth must  be  sacrificed.  So  taking  the  precau- 
tion to  wipe  out  the  iron  kettle  with  a  piece  of 
paper,  and  then  to  heat  it  quite  hot,  and  apply 
soap  freely,  the  cloth  escaped  without  very  seri- 
ous injury  ;  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  me  to 
tell  it,  the  water  was  getting  itself  into  bubbles 
over  the  stove,  and  a  tin  pan  was  being  cleaned, 


BEGINNING   HER   LIFE.  37 

ready  for  the  dishes.  Then  they  were  gathered, 
and  placed  in  the  hot  and  soapy  water,  and 
washed  and  rinsed  and  pojished  with  the  white 
towel  until  they  shone;  and  the  little  girls 
looked  on,  growing  more  amazed  each  moment. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  wash  every  dish  there 
was  in  that  house.  I  suppose  you  would  hjfve 
been  very  much  astonished  if  you  could  have 
seen  how  few  there  were !  Nettie  was  very 
much  astonished.  She  wondered  how  people 
could  get  supper  with  so  few  dishes,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  breakfasts  and  dinner.  But  you  see  she 
did  not  know  how  little  there  was  to  put  on 
them. 

The  next  question  was,  Where  to  put  them  ? 
One  glance  at  the  upper  part  of  the  closet  where 
she  had  found  some  of  them,  convinced  Nettie 
that  her  clean  dishes  could  not  be  happy  resting 
on  those  shelves.  There  was  no  help  for  it; 
they  must  be  scrubbed,  though  she  had  not  in- 
tended to  begin  housecleaning  the  first  after- 
noon. More  water  and  more  soap,  and  the  few 
shelves  were  soon  cleared  of  rubbish,  and  washed. 
Nettie  piled  all  the  rubbish  on  a  lower  shelf  and 
left  it  for  a  future  day.  She  did  not  dare  to 
burn  any  more  property. 


38          LITTLE    FISHERS  I     AND    THEIK   NETS. 

"  Don't  they  look  pretty  ? "  she  said  to  the 
children,  when  at  last  the  dishes  were  neatly  ar- 
ranged on  the  shelf.  One  held  them  all,  nicely. 

Susie  nodded  with  a  grave  face  that  said  she 
had  not  yet  decided  whether  to  be  pleased  or 
indignant. 

i'  What  did  you  doit  for?"  she  asked,  after  a 
moment's  silent  survey. 

"  Why,  to  make  them  clean  and  shining. 
You  and  I  are  going  to  clear  up  the  house  and 
make  it  look  ever  so  nice  for  mother  when  she 
wakes  up." 

"Did  you  come  home  to  help  mother?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  And  you  two  little  sisters 
must  show  me  how  to  help  her ;  poor  sick 
mother  !  I  am  afraid  she  has  too  much  to  do." 

"  She  cries,"  said  Susie  gravely,  as  though 
she  were  stating  not  a  surprising  hut  simply  a 
settled  fact ;  "  she  cried  every  day :  not  out  loud 
like  Sate  and  me,  but  softly.  Father  says  she 
is  always  sniveling." 

If  you  had  been  watching  Nettie  Decker  just 
then  you  would  have  noticed  that  the  blood 
flamed  into  her  cheeks,  and  her  eyes  had  a  flash 
of  wonder,  and  terror,  and  anger  in  them.  What 
did  it  all  mean?  Where  had  the  children  learned 


BEGINNING    HER    LIFE.  39 

such  words  ?  "Was  it  possible  that  her  father 
talked  in  this  way  to  his  wife? 

"  Hush  !  "  she  said  unguardedly,  "  you  must 
not  talk  so."  But  this  made  the  fierce  little 
Susie  stamp  her  foot. 

"  I  shall  talk  so  !  "  she  said  angrily ;  "  I  shall 
talk  just  what  I  please,  and  you  sha'n't  stop  me." 
And  then  the  queer  little  mimic  beside  her 
stamped  her  foot,  and  said,  "  You  sha'n't  stop 
me." 

Said  Nettie,  "  There  was  a  little  girl  on  the 
cars  to-day  that  I  knew.  She  had  a  little  gray 
kitty  with  three  white  feet,  and  a  white  spot 
on  one  ear,  and  it  had  a  blue  ribbon  around  its 
neck.  "What  if  you  had  such  a  kitty.  Would 
you  be  real  good  to  it  V  " 

"  I  will  have  a  black  kitty,"  said  Susie,  "  all 
black;  as  black  as  that  stove."  Nettie  glancing 
at  the  stove,  could  not  help  thinking  that  it  was 
more  gray  than  black ;  but  she  kept  her  thoughts 
to  herself,  and  Susie  went  on.  "  And  it  should 
have  a  red  ribbon  around  its  neck ;  as  red  as 
Janie  Martin's  dress ;  her  dress  is  as  red  as  fire, 
and  has  ruffles  on,  and  ribbons.  But  what  would 
it  eat?" 

She  did  not  mean  the  dress  but  the  kitten. 


40          LITTLE   FISHEKS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

Nettie  laughed,  but  hastened  to  explain  that 
the  kitten  would  need  a  saucer  of  milk  quite 
often,  and  bits  of  various  things.  This  made 
wise  Susie  gravely  shake  her  head. 

"We  don't  have  no  milk,"  she  said,  "only 
once  in  awhile  when  Norm  buys  it ;  Sate,  she 
often  cries  for  milk,  but  she  don't  get  none.  It 
don't  do  no  good  to  cry  for  milk ;  I  ain't  cried 
for  any  in  a  long  time." 

Poor  little  philosopher  !  Poor,  pitiful  child- 
hood without  any  milk  !  Hardly  anything  could 
have  told  the  story  of  poverty  to  Nettie's  young 
ears  more  surely  than  this.  Why,  she  was  a 
big  girl  thirteen  years  old,  and  had  lived  in  a 
city  where  milk  was  scarce,  and  yet  her  glass 
had  been  filled  every  evening.  Nettie  did  not 
know  what  to  make  of  it.  How  came  her  father 
to  be  so  poor?  She  was  sure  that  the  house 
did  not  look  like  this  when  she  went  away  ;  and 
her  clothes  had  been  neat  and  good.  She  had 
the  little  red  dress  now  which  she  wore  away. 
She  thought  of  it  when  Susie  was  talking,  and 
wondered  if  with  a  little  fixing  it  could  not  be 
made  to  fit  the  black-eyed  child  who  seemed  to 
admire  red  so  much.  Finding  the  kitty  a  trou- 
blesome subject,  at  least  so  far  as  the  finding  of 


BEGINNING    HEB   LIFE.  41 

milk  for  it  was  concerned,  she  turned  the  con- 
versation to  the  little  girls  who  had  been  on  the 
cars  ;  the  one  with  the  kitty,  and  her  little  sis- 
ter, whom  she  called  "  Pet."  "  She  was  about  as 
old  as  you,  Susie,  and  Pet  was  about  Satie's  age. 
And  she  was  very  kind  to  Pet ;  she  always  spoke 
to  her  so  gently,  and  took  such  care  of  her  ev- 
erybody seemed  to  love  her  for  her  kindness." 

"  I  take  care  of  Sate,"  said  Susie.  "  I  never 
let  anybody  hurt  her.  I  would  scratch  their 
eyes  out  if  they  did ;  and  they  know  it." 

"  You  slap  me  sometimes,"  little  Sate  said, 
her  voice  slightly  reproachful. 

"  Yes,"  said  Susie  loftily,  "  but  that  is  when 
you  are  bad  and  need  it ;  I  don't  let  anybody 
else  slap  you." 

"  The  oldest  little  girl  had  curly  hair,"  said 
Xettie,  "  but  it  wasn't  so  long  as  yours,  and  did 
not  curl  so  nicely  as  I  think  yours  would.  And 
Pet's  hair  was  a  pretty  brown,  like  Sate's,  and 
looked  very  pretty.  It  was  combed  so  neatly. 
One  wore  a  blue  dress,  and  one  a  white  dress ; 
but  I  think  they  would  have  looked  prettier  if 
they  had  been  dressed  both  alike." 

"I  don't  like  white  dresses,"  said  Susie  ;  "  I 
like  fiery  red  ones." 


42       LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

So  Nettie  resolved  that  the  red  dress  should 
be  made  to  fit  her. 

Meantime,  the  scrubbing  had  gone  on  rapidly ; 
the  table  was  as  clean  as  soap  and  water  could 
make  it.  Now  if  those  children  would  only  let 
her  wash  their  faces  and  put  their  hair  in  order, 
how  different  they  would  look.  Should  she 
venture  to  suggest  it  ? 

It  all  depended  on  how  the  idea  happened  to 
strike  Susie. 


CHAPTER  m. 

THE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD. 

TN  the  bottom  of  that  wonderful  little  trunk 
-*-  lay  side  by  side  two  little  blue  and  white 
plaid  dresses,  made  gabrielle  fashion,  with  ruf- 
fles around  the  bottom  and  around  the  neck. 
Never  were  dresses  made  with  more  patient 
care.  All  the  stitches  were  small  and  very  neat. 
And  they  represented  hours  and  hours  of 
steady  work.  Every  stitch  in  them  had  been 
taken  by  Nettie  Decker.  Long  before  she  had 
thought  of  such  a  thing  as  coming  home,  they 
had  been  commenced.  Birthday  presents  they 
were  to  be  to  the  little  sisters  whom  she  had 
never  seen.  She  had  earned  the  money  to  buy 
them.  She  had  borrowed  two  little  neighbors 
of  the  same  age,  to  fit  them  to,  and  with  much 
advice  and  now  and  then  a  little  skilful  handling 
from  Mrs.  Marshall,  they  were  finally  finished  to 
Nettie's  great  satisfaction. 
43 


44         LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

It  was  the  day  the  last  stitch  was  set  in  them 
that  she  learned  she-  was  to  come  herself  and 
bring  them. 

She  thought  of  them  this  afternoon.  If  the 
little  girls  would  only  let  her  comb  their  hair 
and  wash  their  faces  and  hands,  she  would  put 
on  the  new  dresses.  She  had  not  intended  to 
present  them  in  that  way,  but  dresses  as  soiled 
and  faded  and  worn  as  those  the  little  sisters 
had  on,  Nettie  Decker  had  never  worn. 

She  opened  the  trunk,  with  both  children  be- 
side her,  watching,  and  drew  out  the  dresses. 

"Aren't  these  almost  as  pretty  as  red  ones  ?" 
she  asked,  as  she  unfolded  them,  and  displayed 
the  dainty  ruffles. 

"No,"  said  Susie,  " not  near  so  pretty  as  red 
ones.  But  then  they  are  pretty.  They  aren't 
dresses  at  all ;  they  are  aprons.  Are  they  for 
you  to  wear?" 

"  No,"  said  Nettie,  "  they  are  for  two  little 
girls  to  wear,  who  have  their  hair  combed  beau- 
tifully, and  their  hands  and  faces  very  clean." 

"Do  you  mean  us?" 

"I do  if  the  description  fits.  lean  think  just 
how  nice  you  would  look  if  your  faces  were  clean 
and  your  hair  was  combed." 


THE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  45 

"  We  will  put  on  the  aprons,"  said  Susie  firmly, 
"  but  we  won't  have  our  hair  combed,  nor  our 
faces  washed,  and  you  need  not  try  it." 

But  Miss  Susie  found  that  this  new  sister  had 
as  strong  a  will  as  she.  The  trunk  lid  went 
down  with  a  click,  and  Nettie  rose  up. 

"  Very  well,"  she  said, "  then  we  will  not  waste 
time  over  them.  I  brought  them  for  you,  and 
meant  to  put  them  on  you  this  afternoon  to  sur- 
prise mamma,  but  if  you  don't  want  them,  they 
can  lie  in  the  trunk." 

"  I  told  you  we  did  want  them,"  said  Susie, 
looking  horribly  cross.  "  I  said  we  would  put 
them  on." 

"  Yes,  but  you  said  some  more  which  spoiled 
it.  I  say  that  they  cannot  go  on  until  your 
faces  and  hands  are  so  clean  that  they  shine,  and 
your  hair  is  combed  beautifully." 

"  You  can't  make  us  have  our  hair  combed." 

"  I  shall  not  try,"  said  Nettie,  as  though  it 
was  a  matter  of  very  small  importance  to  her. 
"  I  was  willing  to  dress  you  all  up  prettily,  but 
if  you  don't  choose  to  look  like  the  little  girls  I 
saw  on  the  cars,  why  you  can  go  dirty,  of  course. 
But  you  can't  have  the  clean  new  dresses." 

"Till  when?" 


46          LITTLE    FISHERS  I     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"  Not  ever.     Unless  you  are  clean  and  neat." 

"It  hurts  to  have  hair  combed." 

"  I  know  it.  Yours  would  hurt  a  good  deal, 
because  you  don't  have  it  combed  every  day  ;  if 
you  kept  it  smooth  and  nice  it  would  hardly 
hurt  at  all.  But  I  didn't  suppose  you  were  a 
cowardly  little  girl  who  was  afraid  of  a  few 
pulls.  If  the  dresses  are  not  worth  those,  we 
had  better  let  them  lie  in  the  trunk." 

Nettie  was  already  beginning  to  understand 
her  queer  fierce  little  sister.  She  had  no  idea  of 
being  thought  a  coward. 

"Well,"  she  said,  after  a  thoughtful  pause, 
"  comb  my  hair  if  you  like ;  I  don't  care.  Sate, 
you  are  going  to  have  your  hair  combed,  and 
you  needn't  cry;  because  it  won't  do  any  good." 

It  was  certainly  a  trial  to  all  parties  ;  and  poor 
little  Sate  in  spite  of  this  warning,  did  shed  sev- 
eral tears ;  but  Susie,  though  she  frowned,  and 
choked,  and  once  jerked  the  comb  away  and 
threw  it  across  the  floor,  did  not  let  a  single 
tear  appear  on  her  cheeks.  And  at  last  the  ter- 
rible tangles  slipped  out,  and  left  silky  folds  of 
beautiful  hair  that  was  willing  to  do  whatever 
Nettie's  skilful  fingers  told.it.  When  the  faces 
and  hands  were  clean,  and  the  lovely  blue  dresses 


THE    TRUTH   IS   TOLD.  47 

had  been  arranged,  Nettie  stood  back  to  look  at 
them  in  genuine  delight.  What  pretty  little  girls 
they  were!  She  sighed  in  two  minutes  after 
she  thought  this.  What  did  it  mean  that  they 
looked  so  neglected  and  dirty? 

"  These  must  go  in  the  wash,"  she  said,  as  she 
gathered  up  the  rags  which  had  been  kicked  off. 

"Will  we  put  these  on  in  the  morning?" 
asked  Susie,  in  quite  a  mild  tone.  She  was 
looking  down  at  herself  and  was  very  much 
pleased  with  her  changed  appearance. 

"  Oh,  no,"  Nettie  said,  "  they  are  too  light  to 
play  in.  They  are  dress-up  clothes.  You  must 
have  dark  dresses  on  in  the  morning." 

"We  ain't  got  no  dresses  only  them,"  and 
Susie  pointed  contemptuously  at  the  rags  in 
Nettie's  hand.  This  made  poor  Nettie  sigh 
again.  What  did  it  all  mean  ? 

However,  there  was  no  time  for  sighing. 
There  was  still  a  great  deal  to  be  done. 

"Now  we  must  get  tea,"  she  said,  bustling 
about.  "  Where  does  mother  keep  the  bread, 
and  other  things?" 

"She  don't  keep  them  nowhere.  We  don't 
have  no  things.  I  go  to  the  bakery  sometimes 
for  bread,  and  for  potatoes,  and  sometimes  for 


48         LITTLE    FISHEKS  :     AXD    THEIK   NETS. 

milk.  I  would  go  now ;  I  just  want  to  show 
that  hateful  little  girl  in  there  my  new  dress, 
and  my  curls,  but  it  isn't  a  bit  of  use  to  go.  He 
won't  let  us  have  another  single  thing  without 
the  money.  He  said  so  yesterday,  and  he  looked 
BO  cross  he  scared  Sate ;  but  I  made  faces  at 
him." 

This  called  forth  several  questions  as  to  where 
the  bakery  was,  and  Nettie,  finding  that  it  was 
but  a  few  steps  away,  and  that  the  little  girls 
really  bought  most  of  the  things  which  came 
from  there,  counted  out  the  required  number  of 
pennies  from  her  poor  little  purse  for  a  loaf  of 
bread  and  a  pint  of  milk.  In  the  cupboard  was 
what  had  once  been  butter,  set  on  the  upper 
shelf  in  a  teacup.  It  was  almost  oil,  now. 

"If  I  had  a  lump  of  ice  for  this,"  Nettie  mur- 
mured, "  it  might  do.  Butter  costs  so  much." 

"They  keep  ice  at  the  bakery,"  said  that  wise 
young  woman,  Susie,  "but  we  never  buy  it." 

This  brought  two  more  pennies  from  the 
pocketbook ;  for  to  Nettie  it  seemed  quite  im- 
possible that  butter  in  such  a  condition  could  be 
eaten.  So  the  ice  was  ordered,  and  two  very 
neat,  and  very  vain  little  bits  of  girls  started  on 
their  mission. 


TIIE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  49 

Tablecloths?  Where  would  the  new  house- 
keeper find  them?  Where  indeed!  Hunt  through 
the  room  as  she  would,  no/  trace  of  one  was  to 
be  found.  She  did  not  know  that  the  Deckers 
had  not  used  such  an  article  in  months.  She 
thought  of  the  cupboard  drawer  at  home,  and  of 
the  neat  pile  which  was  always  waiting  there, 
and  at  about  this  hour  it  had  been  her  duty  to 
set  the  table  and  make  everything  ready  for  tea. 
It  would  not  do  to  think  about  it.  There  were 
sharper  contrasts  than  these.  Her  proposed 
present  to  her  mother  had  been  a  tablecloth,  not 
very  large  nor  very  fine,  but  beautifully  smooth 
and  clean,  and  hemmed  by  her  own  patient  fin- 
gers. She  must  get  it  out  to-night,  as  no  other 
appeared ;  and  of  course  she  conld  not  set  the 
table  without  one.  So  it  was  spread  on  the  clean 
table,  and  the  few  dishes  arranged  as  well  as  she 
could.  There  was  a  drawing  of  tea  set  up  in 
another  teacup,  and  there  was  a  sticky  little  tin 
teapot.  Nettie,  as  she  washed  it,  told  it  that 
to-morrow  she  would  scour  it  until  it  shone; 
then  she  made  tea.  Meantime  the  little  errand 
girls  had  returned  with  their  purchases,  the 
butter  was  resting  on  a  generous  lump  of  ice, 
the  bread  which  was  found  to  be  stale,  was 


50         LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

toasted,  a  plate  of  cookies  from  the  wonderful 
trunk  was  added,  and  at  last  there  was  ready 
such  a  supper  as  had  not  been  eaten  in  that 
house  for  weeks.  To  be  sure  it  looked  to  Nettie 
as  though  there  was  very  little  to  eat ;  but  then 
she  had  not  been  used  to  living  at  the  Deckers. 
She  began  to  be  very  nervous  about  the  people 
who  were  going  to  sit  down  at  this  neat  table. 
Why  did  not  some  of  them  come  ? 

The  wise  housekeeper  knew  that  neither  tea 
nor  toast  improved  greatly  by  standing,  but  she 
drew  the  teapot  to  the  very  edge  of  the  stove, 
covered  the  toast,  and  set  it  in  the  oven.  Then 
she  went  softly  to  the  bedroom  door  and  opened 
it.  This  time  a  pair  of  heavy  eyes  turned,  as 
the  door  creaked,  and  were  fixed  on  her  with  a 
kind  of  bewildered  stare.  She  went  softly  in. 

"  How  do  you  feel  now  ? "  she  asked  gently. 
"  I  have  made  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  bit  of  toast 
for  you.  Shall  I  bring  them  now  ?  The  chil- 
dren said  you  did  not  eat  any  dinner." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  the  astonished  woman, 
still  regarding  her  with  that  bewildered  stare. 

Nettie  swallowed  at  the  lump  in  her  throat. 
It  would  be  dreadful  if  she  should  burst  out  cry- 
ing and  run  away,  as  she  felt  exactly  like  doing. 


THE    TEUTH    18    TOLD.  51 

"  I  am  Nettie  Decker,"  she  said,  and  her  lips 
quivered  a  little.  "  Father  sent  for  me,  you 
know.  Didn't  you  think  I  would  be  here  to-day, 
ma'am?" 

"You  can't  be  Nan!" 

I  cannot  begin  to  describe  to  you  the  aston- 
ishment there  was  in  Mrs.  Decker's  voice. 

"  Yes'm,  I  am.  At  least  that  is  what  father 
used  to  call  me  once  in  a  while,  just  for  fun. 
My  name  is  Nanette ;  but  Auntie  Marshall  where 
I  live,  or  where  I  used  to  live"  —  she  corrected 
herself,  "  always  called  me  Nettie.  May  I  bring 
you  the  tea,  ma'am  ?  I  think  it  will  make  you 
feel  better." 

But  the  two  children  had  stayed  in  the  back- 
ground as  long  as  they  intended.  They  pushed 
forward,  Susie  eager-voiced  : 

"  Look  at  us !  Tee  my  curls,  and  see  my  new 
apron,  only  she  says  it  is  a  dress,  but  it  ain't ;  it 
is  made  just  like  Jennie  Brown's  apron,  ain't  it? 
But  we  ain't  got  no  dresses  on.  She's  got  a 
white  cloth  on  the  table,  and  cookies,  and  a 
lump  of  ice,  and  everything;  and  we  had  two 
peaches.  Old  Jock  gave  us  the  bread.  She 
sent  the  money,  and  I  told  him  to  take  his  old 
money  and  give  me  some  bread  right  straight." 


52         LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEFR    NETS. 

How  fast  Susie  could  talk  ! 

There  was  scarcely  room  for  the  slow  sweet 
Satie  to  get  in  her  gentle,  "  and  me  too."  Mean- 
ing look  at  my  dress  and  hair.  The  bewildered 
mother  raised  herself  on  her  elbow  and  stared  — 
from  Nan  to  the  little  girls,  and  then  back  to 
Nan.  She  was  sufficiently  astonished  to  satisfy 
even  Susie. 

"  Well,  I  never ! "  she  said  at  last.  "  I  didn't 
know,  I  mean  I  didn't  think  "  • —  then  she  stopped 
and  pressed  her  hand  to  her  head,  and  pushed 
back  the  straggling  hair  behind  her  ears.  "  I 
took  dizzy  this  morning,"  she  said  at  last,  ad- 
dressing Nettie  as  though  she  were  a  grown-up 

O  O  ~  1 

neighbor  who  had  stepped  in  to  see  her,  "  and 
I  staggered  to  the  bed,  and  didn't  know  nothing 
for  a  long  while.  I  had  a  dreadful  pain  in  my 
head,  and  then  I  must  have  dropped  to  sleep. 
Here  I've  been  all  day,  if  the  day  is  gone.  It 
must  be  after  three  o'clock  if  you've  got  here. 
I  meant  to  try  to  do  something  towards  making 
things  a  little  more  decent;  though  the  land 
knows  what  it  would  have  been ;  I  don't. 
There's  nothing  to  do  with.  I  didn't  know  till 
this  morning  that  he  had  the  least  notion  of 
sending  for  you  —  though  he's  threatened  it 


THE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  53 

times  enough.  I've  been  ailing  all  the  spring, 
and  this  morning  I  just  give  out.  I  don't  know 
what  is  the  matter  with  me.  The  bed  goes 
round  now,  and  things  get  into  a  kind  of  a 
blur." 

"Let  me  bring  you  a  cup  of  tea  and  something 
to  eat,"  said  Nettie;  "I  think  you  are  faint." 
Then  she  vanished,  the  children  following. 
She  was  back  in  a  few  minutes,  under  her  arm 
a  white  towel  from  her  trunk;  this  she  spread 
on  the  barrel  head  which  you  will  remember  did 
duty  as  a  table.  She  spread  it  with  one  hand, 
little  Sate  carefully  smoothing  out  the  other 
end.  In  her  left  hand  she  carried  a  cup  of  tea 
smoking  hot,  and  poor  Mrs.  Decker  noticed  that 
the  cup  shone.  Susie  followed  behind,  an  air  of 
grave  importance  on  her  face,  and  in  her  hands 
a  plate,  covered  by  a  smaller  one,  which  being 
taken  off  disclosed  a  delicately  browned  slice  of 
bread  with  a  bit  of  butter  spread  carefully 
over  it. 

"Well,  I  never!"  said  Mrs.  Decker  again, 
but  she  drank  the  tea  with  feverish  haste,  stop- 
ping long  enough  to  feel  of  the  cup  with  a  curi- 
ous look  on  her  face.  It  was  so  smooth.  There 
was  a  sound  of  heavy  feet  outside,  and  the 


54          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

children  appeared  at  the  door  and  announced 
that  father  and  Norm  had  come.  Nettie  took 
the  emptied  cup,  promising  to  fill  it  again,  urged 
the  eating  of  the  toast  while  it  was  hot,  and 
went  with  trembling  heart  to  meet  the  father 
whom  she  had  not  seen  in  so  many  years  that 
she  remembered  very  little  about  him. 

A  great  rough-faced,  unshaven  man,  with  un- 
combed hair,  ragged  and  dirty  shirt  sleeves, 
ragged  and  dirty  pants,  a  red  face  and  eyes  that 
seemed  but  half  open,  and  watery.  Nothing 
less  like  what  Nettie  had  imagined  a  father, 
could  well  be  described.  However,  if  she  had 
but  known  it,  this  was  a  great  improvement  on 
the  man  who  often  came  home  to  supper.  He 
was  nearly  sober,  and  greeted  her  with  a  rough 
sort  of  kindness,  giving  her  a  kiss,  which  made 
her  shrink  and  tremble.  It  was  perfumed  with 
odors  which  she  did  not  like. 

"  Well,  Nan,  my  girl,  you  have  grown  into  a 
fine  young  lady,  have  you  ?  Tall  for  your  years, 
too.  And  smart,  I'll  bo  bound  ;  you  wouldn't 
be  your  mother's  girl  if  you  wasn't.  Is  it  you 
that  has  fixed  up  things  so  ?  It  is  a  good  thing 
you  have  come  to  take  care  of  us.  We  haven't 
had  anything  decent  here  in  so  long,  we've  most 


THE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  55 

forgot  how  to  treat  it.  Come  on,  Norm.  This 
table  looks  something  like  living  again." 

And  "  Norm  "  shambled  in.  Rough,  and  un- 
combed, and  unwashed,  except  a  dab  at  his 
hands  which  left  long  streaks  of  brown  at  the 
wrists.  A  hard-looking  boy,  harder  than  Nettie 
had  ever  spoken  to  before.  She  could  not  help 
thinking  of  Jim  Daker  who  lived  in  a  saloon  not 
far  from  her  old  home,  and  whom  she  had 
always  passed  with  a  hurried  step,  and  with 
eyes  on  the  ground,  and  of  whom  she  thought 
as  of  one  who  lived  in  a  different  world  from 
hers,  and  wondered  how  it  felt  to  be  down  there 
in  the  slum.  Now  here  was  a  boy  whom  it  was 
her  duty  to  think  of  as  a  brother ;  and  he  re- 
minded her  of  Jim  Daker ! 

Still  there  was  something  about  Norm  that 
she  could  not  help  half  liking.  He  had  great 
brown,  wistful-looking  eyes,  and  an  honest  face. 
She  had  not  much  chance,  it  is  true,  to  observe 
the  eyes ;  for  he  did  not  look  at  her,  nor  speak, 
until  his  father  said  : 

"  Why  don't  you  shake  hands  with  Nan  ? 
You  ought  to  be  glad  to  see  her.  You  ain't 
used  to  such  a  looking  supper  as  this." 

The  boy  laughed,  in  an  embarrassed  way,  and 


56          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

said  he  was  sure  he  did  not  know  whether  he 
was  glad  to  see  her  or  not:  depended  on  what 
she  had  come  for.  He  gave  her  just  a  gleam 
then  from  the  brown  eyes,  and  she  smiled  and 
held  out  her  hand.  He  took  it  awkwardly 
enough,  and  dropped  it  as  suddenly  as  though  it 
had  been  hot ;  then  sat  down  in  haste  at  the 
table,  where  his  step-father  was  already  making 
havoc  with  the  toast.  It  was  not  a  very  sub- 
stantial meal  for  people  who  had  dined  on  bread 
and  cheese,  and  were  hungering  at  that  moment 
for  beer;  but  the  man  had  spoken  the  truth,  it 
was  better  than  they  generally  found.  There 
•was  one  part  of  the  story,  however,  that  he  failed 
to  tell :  which  was,  that  he  did  not  furnish  money 
to  get  anything  better.  As  for  Susie  and  Sate, 
they  had  become  suddenly  silent.  They  sat 
close  together  and  devoured  their  toast,  like 
hungry  children  indeed,  but  also  like  scared 
children.  They  gave  occasional  frightened 
glances  at  their  father  which  puzzled  and  pained 
Nettie.  No  suspicion  of  the  truth  had  yet  come 
to  her.  Oh,  yes,  she  had  smelled  the  liquor 
when  her  father  kissed  her;  but  she  thought  it 
was  something  which  had  to  do  with  the  ma- 
chinery around  which  he  worked. 


THE   TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  ,57 

"  Where  is  the  old  woman  ?  "  he  asked  sud- 
denly, setting  down  his  empty  cup  which  Nettie 
had  filled  for  the  third  time.  She  looked  up  at 
him  with  a  startled  air.  To  whom  was  he  speak- 
ing and  what  old  woman  could  he  mean  ?  Her 
look  seemed  to  make  him  cross.  "  What  are 
you  staring  at  ?  "  he  said  sharply.  "  Can't  you 
answer  a  question?  Where's  your  mother?" 

Nettie  hurried  to  answer;  she  was  sick,  had 
been  real  sick  all  day,  but  was  better  now,  and 
was  trying  to  get  up. 

"  She  is  everlastingly  sick,"  the  father  said 
with  a  sneer;  "you  will  get  used  to  that  story 
if  you  live  here  long.  I  hope  you  ain't  one  of 
the  sickly  kind,  because  we  have  heard  enough 
of  that." 

This  sentence  and  the  tone  in  which  it  was 
spoken,  brought  the  blood  in  great  waves  to 
Nettie's  face.  It  was  the  first  time  she  had 
ever  heard  a  man  speak  of  his  wife  in  such  a 
way.  Norm  looked  up  from  his  cookie,  and 
flashed  angry  eyes  on  his  step-father  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  said  "he  didn't  know  as  that  was 
any  wonder.  She  had  enough  to  make  any 
woman  sick." 

"You  shut  up,"  said  the  father  in  increasing 


58          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

irritability ;  and  the  children  slipped  out  of  their 
seats  and  moved  toward  the  door,  keeping  care- 
ful eyes  on  the  father  until  they  were  fairly  out- 
side. Nettie  felt  her  limbs  trembling  so  that 
her  knees  knocked  together  under  the  table. 
But  at  last  every  crumb  of  toast  was  eaten,  and 
every  drop  of  tea  swallowed,  and  Mr.  Decker 
pushed  himself  back  from  the  table,  and  spoke 
in  a  somewhat  gentler  tone :  "  Well,  my  girl, 
make  yourself  as  comfortable  as  you  can.  I'm 
glad  to  see  you.  We  need  your  help,  you'll 
find,  in  more  ways  than  one.  You've  been  work- 
ing for  other  folks  long  enough.  It  is  a  poor 
place  you've  come  to,  and  that's  a  fact.  I  ain't 
what  I  used  to  be ;  I've  been  unfortunate.  No 
fellow  ever  had  worse  luck.  Everything  has 
gone  wi'ong  with  me  ever  since  your  mother 
died.  A  sick  wife,  and  young  ones  to  look 
after,  and  nobody  to  do  a  thing.  It  is  a  hard 
life,  but  you  might  as  well  rough  it  with  the 
rest  of  us.  You'll  get  along  somehow,  I  s'pose. 
The  rest  of  us  always  have.  I've  got  to  go  out 
for  awhile.  You  tell  the  old  woman  to  fix  up 
some  place  for  you  to  sleep,  and  we'll  do  the 
best  we  can." 

And  he  lounged  away ;  Norm  having  left  the 


THE    TRUTH    IS    TOLD.  59 

table  and  the  room  some  minutes  before.  And 
this  was  the  father  to  whom  Nettie  Decker  had 
come  home  ! 

She  swallowed  at  the  lump  which  seemed 
growing  larger  every  minute  in  her  throat.  She 
had  choked  back  a  great  many  tears  that  after- 
noon. There  was  no  time  to  cry.  Some  place 
must  be  fixed  for  her  to  sleep. 

In  the  home  that  she  had  left,  there  was  a  lit- 
tle room  with  matting  on  the  floor,  and  a  little 
white  bed  in  the  corner,  and  a  pretty  toilet  set 
that  the  carpenter's  son  had  made  her  at  odd 
times,  and  a  wash  bowl  and  pitcher  that  had  been 
her  present  on  her  eleventh  birthday,  and  a  green 
rocking-chair  that  aunt  Kate  had  sent  her  :  not 
her  own  aunt  Kate,  but  Mrs.  Marshall's  sister 
who  had  adopted  her  as  a  niece,  and  these  things 
and  many  another  little  knickknack  were  all  her 
own.  The  room  was  empty  to-night ;  but  then 
Nettie  must  not  cry ! 

She  began  to  gather  the  dishes  and  get  them 
ready  for  washing.  Just  as  she  plunged  her 
hands  into  the  dishwater,  the  bedroom  door 
opened,  and  her  mother  came  out,  stepping 
feebly,  like  one  just  recovering  from  severe  ill- 
ness. 


60          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIK   NETS. 

"  I'm  dreadful  weak,"  she  said  in  answer  to 
Nettie's  inquiries,  "  but  I  guess  I'm  better  than 
I  have  been  in  a  good  while.  I've  had  a  rest  to- 
day ;  the  first  one  I  have  had  in  three  years.  I 
don't  know  what  made  me  give  out  so,  all  of  a 
sudden.  I  tried  to  keep  on  my  feet,  but  I  couldn't 
do  it  no  more  than  I  could  fly.  You  oughtn't 
to  have  to  wash  them  dishes,  child,  with  your 
pretty  hands  and  your  pretty  dress.  Oh,  dear  ! 
I  don't  know  what  is  to  become  of  any  of  us." 

"  This  is  my  work  apron,"  said  Nettie,  trying 
to  speak  cheerily,  "  and  I  am  used  to  this  work  : 
I  always  helped  with  the  tea  dishes  at  home." 
Then  she  plunged  into  the  midst  of  the  subject 
which  was  troubling  her.  "  Father  said  I  was  to 
ask  you  where  I  was  to  sleep." 

"He  better  ask  himself!"  said  the  wilted 
woman,  rousing  to  sudden  energy  and  indisrna- 

O  O»/  ~ 

tion.  "How  does  he  think  I  know?  There  isn't 
the  first  rag  to  make  a  bed  of,  nor  a  spot  to  put 
it,  if  there  was.  I  say  it  was  a  sin  and  a  shame 
for  him  to  send  for  you,  and  that's  the  truth  ! 
If  he  had  one  decent  child  who  had  a  place  to 
stay,  where  she  would  be  took  care  of,  he  ought 
to  have  let  you  alone.  You  have  come  to  an  aw- 
ful home,  child.  You  have  got  to  know  the  truth, 


THE    TRUTH   IS    TOLD.  61 

and  you  might  as  well  know  it  first  as  last.  It 
is  enough  sight  worse  than  you  have  seen  to-night, 
though  I  dare  say  you  think  this  is  bad  enough. 
You  don't  look  nor  act  like  what  I  was  afraid  of, 
and  you  must  have  had  good  friends  who  took 
care  of  you ;  and  he  ought  to  have  let  you  alone. 
This  is  no  place  for  a  decent  girl.  It  is  bad 
enough  for  an  old  woman  Avho  has  given  up,  and 
never  expects  to  have  anything  decent  any  more. 
He  won't  provide  any  place  for  you,  nor  any 
clothes,  and  what  we  are  to  do  with  one  more 
mouth  to  feed  is  more  than  I  can  see.  I  wouldn't 
grudge  it  to  you,  child,  if  we  had  it ;  but  we  are 
starved,  half  the  time,  and  that's  the  living 
truth." 

"I  won't  eat  much,"  said  poor  Nettie,  trem- 
bling and  quivering,  "  and  I  will  try  very  hard 
to  help  ;  but  if  you  please,  what  makes  things  so  ? 
Can't  father  get  work  ?  " 

"  Work !  of  course  he  can  ;  as  much  as  he  can 
do.  He  is  as  good  a  machinist  to-day  as  there  is 
in  the  shops ;  when  they  have  a  particular  job 
they  want  him  to  do  it.  He  works  hard  enough 
by  spells  ;  why,  child,  it's  the  drink.  You  didn't 
know  it,  did  you  ?  Well,  you  may  as  well  know 
it  first  as  last.  He  was  nearer  sober  to-night 


62          LITTLE    FISHEKS  :    AND    THEIK   NETS. 

than  he  has  been  in  a  week ;  but  he  wasn't  so 
very  sober  or  he  wouldn't  have  been  cross.  He 
used  to  be  good  and  kind  as  the  best  of  them, 
and  we  had  things  decent.  I  never  thought  it 
would  come  to  this,  but  it  has,  and  it  grows 
worse  every  day.  Yes,  you  may  well  turn  pale, 
and  cry  out.  Turning  pale  won't  do  any  good. 
And  you  may  cry  tears  of  blood,  and  them  that 
sells  the  rum  to  poor  foolish  men  will  go  right  on 
selling  it  as  long  as  they  have  money  to  pay, 
and  kick  them  out  when  they  haven't.  That  is 
the  way  it  is  done,  and  it  keeps  going  on  here 
year  after  year,  homes  ruined,  and  children  made 
beggars,  and  them  that  have  the  making  of  the 
laws,  go  right  on  and  let  it  be  done.  I've  watched 
it.  And  I've  tried,  too.  You  needn't  think  I  gave 
up  and  sat  down  to  it  without  trying  as  hard  as 
ever  woman  could  to  struggle  against  the  curse ; 
but  I've  give  up  now.  Nothing  is  of  any  use. 
And  the  worst  of  it  is  my  Norm  is  going  the 
same  road." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

NEW   FRIENDS. 

A  ND  then  the  poor  woman  who  thought 
•*-*-  she  had  no  more  tears  to  shed,  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands  and  shed  some  of  the  bit- 
terest ones  she  ever  did  in  her  life. 

Poor  Nettie!  she  tried  to  turn  comforter; 
tried  to  think  of  one  cheering  word  to  say ;  but 
what  was  there  to  cheer  the  wife  of  a  drunk- 
ard ?  Or  the  daughter  of  a  drunkard  ?  Could 
it  be  possible  that  she,  Nettie  Decker,  was  that! 
Oh,  dear !  how  often  she  had  stood  in  the  door, 
and  with  a  kind  of  terrified  fascination  watched 
Jane  Daker  stealing  home  in  the  darkness,  afraid 
to  go  in  at  the  front  door,  lest  her  drunken 
father  should  see  her  and  vent  his  wrath  on  her. 
Could  she  ever  creep  around  in  the  dark  and 
hide  away  from  her  own  father?  Wouldn't  it 
be  possible  for  her  to  go  back  home  ?  She  had 
not  money  enough  to  get  there,  but  couldn't  she 
63 


64          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AJfD    THEIK    NETS. 

work  somehow,  and  earn  money?  She  could 
write  a  letter  to  the  folks  at  home  and  tell  them 
the  dreadful  story,  and  they  would  surely  find 
a  way  of  sending  for  her.  But  then,  money  was 
not  plenty  in  that  home,  and  she  began  to  un- 
derstand that  they  had  done  a  great  deal  for  her, 
and  that  it  had  cost  a  good  deal  to  pay  her  fare 
to  this  place.  She  had  wondered,  at  the  time, 
that  her  father  did  not  send  the  money  for  her 
to  come  home,  but  she  said  to  herself  :  "  I  sup- 
pose he  did  not  know  how  much  it  would  cost, 
and  he  will  give  it  to  me  to  send  in  my  first  let- 
ter. Perhaps  he  will  give  me  a  little  bit  more 
than  it  costs,  too,  for  a  little  present  for  Jamie." 

Oh,  poor  little  girl !  building  hopes  on  a  father 
like  hers.  She  had  not  been  at  home  half  a  day, 
but  she  knew  now  that  no  money  would  ever  go 
back  to  the  Marshalls  in  return  for  all  they  had 
done  for  her.  Worse  than  that,  she  might  not 
be  able  to  get  back  to  them  herself.  Would  her 
father  be  likely  to  let  her  go?  He  had  sent  for 
her,  and  had  told  her  during  this  first  hour  of 
their  meeting,  that  she  had  worked  for  other 
people  long  enough.  This  made  her  heart  swell 
with  indignation. 

Done  enough  for  others,  indeed  !     What  had 


XEW   FRIENDS.  65 

they  not  done  for  her?  She  never  realized  it 
half  so  plainly  as  she  did  to-night.  "  I  will  go 
back !  "  she  muttered,  setting  the  little  bowl  she 
was  drying  on  the  table  with  a  determined 
thump.  "  I  can't  stay  in  such  a  place  as  this.  I 
will  write  to  Auntie  Marshall  this  very  night  if 
I  can  get  a  chance,  and  she  will  contrive  some 
way." 

Certainly,  Nettie  in  that  mood  could  have  no 
comfort  for  a  weeping  mother,  and  attempted 
none,  after  the  first  murmured  word  of  pity. 
But  meantime  she  knew  very  well  that  she  could 
not  go  back  home  that  night,  and  the  present 
terror  was,  where  was  she  to  sleep  ? 

Her  mother  went  back  into  the  bedroom  after 
a  few  minutes  of  bitter  weeping,  and  Nettie  fin- 
ished the  work,  then  stood  drearily  in  the  door- 
way, wondering  what  she  could  do  next,  when  a 
good,  homely,  motherly  face  looked  out  of  the 
side  window  of  the  small  house  next  their  own, 
and  a  cheery  voice  spoke : 

"Are  you  Joe  Decker's  little  Nannie?" 

"Yes'm,"  said  Nettie,  sadly,  wondering  drear- 
ily, even  then,  if  it  could  be  possible  that  this 
was  so. 

"Well,"  said  the  voice,  "  I  calculated  that  you 


66         LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AXD    THEIR   NETS. 

must  be;  though  I  never  should  have  known 
you  in  the  world,  if  I  hadn't  heard  you  was 
coming,  you  was  such  a  mite  of  a  thing  when 
you  went  away.  What  a  tall  nice  girl  you've 
got  to  be.  Your  ma  is  sick,  the  children  said. 
I've  been  away  ironing  all  day,  or  I  would  have 
been  in  to  see  if  I  could  help  the  poor  thing  any. 
I  don't  know  her  very  much,  but  she  is  sickly, 
and  has  hard  times  now  and  then,  and  I'm  sorry 
for  her.  Now  what  I  was  wondering  is,  where 
are  they  going  to  put  you  to  sleep  ?  The  upper 
part  of  that  house  ain't  finished  off,  is  it?  It  is 
one  big  attic,  ain't  it,  where  Norm  sleeps?  I 
thought  so.  I  suppose  there  could  be  quite  a 
nice  room  made  up  there  with  a  little  work  and 
a  few  dollars  laid  out,  but  your  pa  ain't  done  it, 
I'll  be  bound.  And  I  knew  there  wasn't  but 
one  bedroom  down-stairs,  and  I  couldn't  think 
how  they  would  manage  it." 

"  It  isn't  managed  at  all,  ma'am,"  said  Nettie, 
seeing  that  she  seemed  to  wait  for  an  answer, 
and  there  was  nothing  to  say  but  the  simple 
truth.  "There  is  no  place  for  me  to  sleep." 

"  You  don't  say  !  Now  that's  a  shame.  Well, 
now,  what  I  was  thinking  was,  that  maybe  you 
would  like  to  sleep  in  the  woodhouse  chamber; 


NEW    FRIENDS.  67 

it  is  a  nice  little  room  as  ever  was,  and  it  opens 
right  out  of  my  Sarah  Ann's  room ;  so  you 
wouldn't  be  lonesome.  I  haven't  any  manner  of 
use  for  it,  now  my  boy's  gone  away,  and  I  just 
as  soon  you  would  sleep  there  as  not  until  your 
folks  get  things  fixed.  You're  a  dreadful  clean- 
looking  little  girl,  and  I  like  that.  I'm  a  master 
hand  to  have  clean  things  around  me ;  Job  says 
he  believes  I  catch  the  flies  and  dust  their  wings 
before  I  let  them  go  into  my  front  room.  Job 
is  my  husband,  and  that  is  his  little  joke  at  me, 
you  know."  And  she  laughed  such  a  jolly  little 
roly-poly  sort  of  laugh  that  poor  Nettie  could 
not  keep  a  smile  from  her  troubled  face.  A 
refuge  in  the  woodhouse  chamber  of  this  neat, 
good-natured-looking  woman  seemed  like  a  bit 
of  heaven  to  the  homesick  child. 

"I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  ma'am," 
she  said  respectfully ;  "  I  will  tell  my  mother  how 
kind  you  are,  and  I  think  she  will  be  glad  to 
accept  the  kindness  for  a  few  days.  I — "  and 
then  Nettie  suddenly  stopped.  It  might  not  be 
well  to  say  to  this  new  friend  that  she  would  not 
need  to  trouble  the  woodhouse  chamber  long, 
for  she  meant  to  start  for  home  as  soon  as  a  let- 
ter could  travel  there,  and  another  travel  back. 


68          LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

Something  might  come  in  the  way  of  this  re- 
solve, though  it  made  her  feel  hot  all  over  to 
think  of  such  a  possibility. 

"Bless  my  heart!"  said  Mrs.  Job  Smith  as 
Nettie  vanished  to  consult  her  mother.  "  If  that 
ain't  as  polite  and  pretty-spoken  a  child  as  ever 
I  see  in  my  life.  She  makes  me  think  of  our 
Jerry.  To  think  of  that  child  being  Joe  Decker's 
girl  and  coming  back  to  such  a  home  as  he 
keeps !  It  is  too  bad !  I  am  sure  I  hope  they 
will  let  her  sleep  in  the  woodhouse  chamber. 
It  is  the  only  spot  where  she  will  get  any 
peace." 

Mrs.  Decker  was  only  too  glad  to  avail  her- 
self of  her  neighbor's  kind  offer.  "It  is  good  of 
her,"  she  said  gratefully  to  Nettie.  "  I  wish  to 
the  land  you  could  have  such  a  comfortable  room 
all  the  time ;  they  are  real  clean-looking  folks. 
You  wouldn't  suppose  from  the  looks  of  this 
house  that  I  cared  for  clean  things,  but  I  do,  and 
I  used  to  have  them  about  me,  too.  I  was  as 
neat  once  as  the  best  of  them;  but  it  takes 
clothes  and  soap  and  strength  to  be  clean,  and 
I  have  had  none  of  'em  in  so  lon<r  that  I  have 

O 

most  forgot  how  to  do  anything  decent." 

"  Soap?"  said  Nettie,  wonderingly.     She  was 


NEW   FKIEND8.  69 

beating  up  the  poor  rags  which  composed  the 
bed  in  her  mother's  room,  trying  to  get  a  little 
freshness  into  them. 

"  Yes,  soap ;  I  don't  suppose  you  can  imagine 
how  it  would  seem  not  to  have  all  the  soap  you 
wanted ;  I  couldn't,  either,  once,  but  I  tell  you 
I  save  the  pennies  nowdays  for  bread,  so  that 
I  need  not  see  my  children  starve  before  my 
eyes.  I  would  rather  do  without  soap  than 
bread ;  especially  when  our  clothes  are  so  worn 
out  that  there  is  nothing  much  to  change  with. 
Oh,  I  tell  you  when  you  get  into  a  house  where 
the  men  folks  spend  all  they  can  get  on  beer  or 
whiskey,  there  are  not  many  pennies  left.  Mrs. 
Smith  has  been  real  kind ;  she  sent  the  children 
in  a  bowl  of  soup  one  day  when  their  father  had 
gone  off  and  not  left  a  thing  in  the  house,  nor  a 
cent  to  get  anything  with. 

"  And  she  has  done  two  or  three  things  like 
that  lately ;  I'm  grateful  to  her,  but  I'm  ashamed 
to  say  so.  I  never  expected  to  sink  so  low  that 
I  should  be  glad  of  the  scraps  which  a  poor 
neighbor  like  her  could  send  in.  Oh,  no ;  they 
are  not  very  poor.  Why,  they  are  rich  as  kings, 
come  to  compare  them  with  us ;  but  they  are 
not  grand  folks  at  all;  he  is  a  teamster,  and 


70          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIK    NETS. 

works  hard  every  day;  so  does  she;  but  he 
doesn't  drink  a  drop,  and  they  have  a  good 
many  comfortable  things.  Their  boy  is  away 
at  school,  and  their  girl,  Sarah  Ann,  is  learning 
a  dressmaker's  trade.  You  will  have  a  comfort- 
able bed  in  there,  and  I'm  glad  of  it." 

And  now  it  was  eight  o'clock.  Susie  and 
Sate  were  asleep  in  their  trundle  bed,  the  tired 
Nettie  having  coaxed  them  to  let  her  give  them 
a  splendid  bath  first,  making  the  idea  pleasant 
to  them  by  producing  from  her  trunk  a  cunning 
little  cake  of  perfumed  soap.  They  looked 
"  as  pretty  as  pictures,"  the  sad-eyed  mother 
said,  as  she  bent  over  them  when  they  were 
asleep,  with  their  moist  hair  in  loose  waves,  and 
their  clean  faces  flushed  with  health.  "  They  are 
real  pretty  little  girls,"  she  added  earnestly,  as 
she  turned  away.  "He  might  be  proud  of 
them.  And  he  used  to  be,  too.  When  Sate 
was  a  baby,  he  said  she  had  eyes  like  you,  and 
he  used  to  kiss  her  and  tell  her  she  was  pretty, 
until  I  was  afraid  he  would  spoil  her;  but  there 
isn't  the  least  danger  of  that  now.  He  never 
notices  either  of  them  except  to  slap  them  or 
growl  at  them." 

"  How  came  father  to  begin  to  drink  ?  "    Net- 


NEW    FBLENDS.  71 

tie  asked  the  question  timidly,  hesitating  over 
the  last  word ;  it  seemed  such  a  dreadful  word 
to  add  to  a  father's  name. 

"  Don't  ask  me,  child  ;  I  don't  know.  They 
say  he  always  drank  a  little;  a  glass  of  beer 
now  and  then.  I  knew  he  did  when  I  married 
him,  but  I  thought  it  was  no  more  than  all  hard- 
working men  did.  I  never  thought  much  about 
it.  I  know  it  never  entered  my  head  that  he 
could  be  a  drunkard.  I'd  have  been  too  afraid 
for  Norm  if  I  had  dreamed  of  such  a  thing  as 
that. 

"He  kept  increasing  the  drinks,  little  by  little — 
it  grows  on  them, .it  seems,  the  habit  does;  they 
say  that  is  the  way  with  all  the  drinks;  I  didn't 
know  it.  I  never  was  taught  about  these  things. 
If  I  had  been,  I  think  sometimes  my  life  would 
have  been  very  different.  I  know  I  wouldn't 
have  walked  right  into  the  fire  with  my  one  boy, 
anyhow.  I'm  talking  to  you,  child,  as  though 
you  were  a  woman  grown,  and  you  seem  most 
like  a  woman  to  me,  you  are  so  handy,  and 
quiet,  and  nice-looking.  I  was  sorry  you  were 
coming,  because  I  thought  you  would  just  be 
an  added  plague ;  and  now  I  am  sorry  for  your 
own  sake." 


72          LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Nettie  hesitated  greatly  over  the  next  ques- 
tion. It  was  a  very  hard  one  to  ask  this  sick 
and  discouraged  mother,  but  she  must  know  the 
whole  of  the  misery  by  which  she  was  sur- 
rounded. "Does  Norman  drink  too?" 

"  Norm,"  said  Mrs.  Decker,  dropping  into  the 
one  chair,  and  putting  her  hand  to  her  heart  as 
though  there  was  something  stabbing  her  there, 
"  Norm  has  been  led  away  by  your  father.  He 
was  a  bright  little  fellow,  and  your  father  took 
to  him  amazingly.  I  used  to  tell  him  his  own 
little  girls  would  have  reason  to  be  jealous  of 
his  step-son.  He  took  Norm  with  him  every- 
where, from  the  first.  And  taught  him  to  do 
odd  things,  for  a  little  fellow,  and  was  proud  of 
his  singing,  and  his  speaking,  and  all  that.  And 
when  Susie  there,  was  a  baby,  and  I  was  kept  close 
at  home  with  her,  and  Norm  would  tear  around 
in  the  evening  and  wake  her  up,  I  slipped  into 
the  way  of  letting  him  go  out  with  your  father 
to  spend  the  evenings;  I  didn't  know  they 
spent  them  in  bar-rooms,  or  groceries  where  they 
sold  beer.  I  never  dreamed  of  such  a  thing. 
Your  father  talked  about  meeting  the  men,  and 
I  thought  they  met  at  some  of  the  houses  where 
there  wasn't  a  baby  to  cry,  and  talked  their 


WEW    FRIENDS.  73 

work  over,  or  the  news,  you  know.  And  there 
he  was  teaching  Norm  to  drink.  He  was  a 
pretty  little  fellow,  and  he  would  sing  comic 
songs,  and  then  they  would  treat  him  to  the  su- 
gar in  their  glasses !  When  I  found  it  out,  he 
had  got  to  liking  the  stuff,  and  I  don't  suppose 
a  day  goes  by  without  his  taking  more  or  less  of 
it  now.  He  never  gets  as  bad  as  your  father ; 
but  he  will.  He  is  never  cross  and  ugly  to  me, 
nor  to  the  children,  but  he  will  be.  It  grows 
on  him.  It  grows  on  them  all.  And  to  think 
that  I  led  him  into  the  trap !  If  I  had  stayed 
in  the  country  where  I  was  brought  up,  or  if  I 
had  left  him  with  his  grandfather,  as  he  wanted 
me  to,  he  might  have  been  saved.  The  grand- 
father is  gone  now,  and  so  is  the  farm.  Your 
father  got  hold  of  my  share  of  that,  and  lost  it 
somehow.  He  didn't  mean  to,  and  that  soured 
him,  and  he  drank  the  harder,  and  we  are  going 
down  to  the  very  bottom  of  everything  as  fast 
as  we  can." 

It  seemed  to  poor  Nettie  that  they  must  have 
reached  the  bottom  now.  She  could  not  imagine 
any  lower  depths  than  these. 

She  made  up  the  poor  bed  as  well  as  she  could, 
and  then  went  back  to  the  kitchen  to  see  what 


74         LITTO:    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

could  be  done  about  breakfast.  Her  new  mother 
was  evidently  too  weak  and  sick  to  be  troubled 
with  the  thought  of  it,  and  while  she  stayed, 
Nettie  resolved  that  she  would  help  the  poor 
woman  all  she  could.  She  went  out  into  the 
yard  to  examine,  and  discovered  to  her  satisfac- 
tion that  there  must  be  a  cooper's  shop  just 
around  the  corner,  for  the  chips  lay  thick.  She 
gathered  some  for  the  morning  fire,  determined 
in  her  mind  that  she  would  buy  a  few  potatoes  at 
the  grocery  in  the  morning !  In  the  cupboard  she 
had  found  a  cup  of  sour  milk ;  this  she  had  care- 
fully treasured  with  an  eye  to  breakfast,  and  she 
now  looked  into  her  purse  to  see  if  she  could 
spare  pennies  for  a  quart  of  flour.  If  she  could, 
then  some  excellent  cakes  would  be  the  result. 

And  now  everything  that  she  knew  how  to  do 
towards  the  next  day's  needs  was  attended  to, 
and  she  went  out  in  the  moonlight,  and  sat  down 
on  the  lowest  step  of  the  back  stoop,  and  did 
what  she  had  been  longing  to  do  all  the  after- 
noon —  cried  as  though  her  poor  young  heart 
was  breaking. 

Astride  a  saw-horse  in  the  yard  which  be- 
longed to  Job  Smith,  and  which  was  separated 
from  the  stoop  where  she  sat  only  by  a  low 


NEW   FBIENDS.  75 

fence,  was  a  curly-headed  boy,  who  had  come 
there  apparently  to  whittle  and  whistle  and 
watch  her.  He  was  not  there  when  she  sat 
down  and  buried  her  head  in  her  apron.  She  did 
not  notice  his  whistling,  though  he  made  it  loud 
and  shrill  on  purpose  to  attract  her  attention. 
He  knew  quite  a  little  about  her  by  this  time, 
lie  had  come  upon  the  boys  of  the  Grammar 
School  in  the  midst  of  their  afternoon  recess  and 
heard  Harry  Stuart  interrupt  little  Ted  Barrows 
who  was  the  youngest  one  in  the  class  and  wrote 
the  best  compositions.  They  were  gathered 
under  a  tree  listening  to  Ted,  while  he  read  them 
"  The  Story  of  An  Hour,"  which  was  especially 
interesting  because  it  had  some  of  their  own  ex- 
periences skilfully  woven  in. 

"  Hold  on,"  Harry  was  saying,  just  as  the 
whistling  boy  appeared  within  hearing.  "  You 
didn't  make  that  thing  up ;  you  got  it  from  the 
Deckers  ;  that  is  what  is  just  going  to  happen 
there.  Old  Joe's  Nan  is  coming  home  this  very 
day,  and  she  is  about  as  old  as  the  girl  you've 
got  in  your  story,  and  is  freckled,  I  dare  say ; 
most  girls  are." 

"  I  didn't  even  know  old  Joe  Decker  had  a 
girl  to  come  home ! "  said  little  Ted,  looking 


76          LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

injured.     "I  made  every  word  of  it  out  of  my 
own  mind." 

But  the  boys  did  not  hear  him  ;  their  interest  * 
had  been  called  in  another  direction.  "  Is  that 
so  ?  Is  Nan  Decker  coming  home  ?  My !  What 
a  house  to  come  to.  Mother  said  only  yesterday 
that  she  hoped  the  folks  who  had  her  would  keep 
her  forever.  What  is  she  coming  for?  Who 
told  you?" 

"  Why,  she  is  coming  because  Joe  thinks  that 
will  be  another  way  to  plague  the  old  lady.  At 
least  that  is  what  my  mother  thinks.  Mrs. 
Decker  told  her  once  that  when  Joe  had  been 
drinking  more  than  usual  he  always  threatened 
to  send  for  Nan;  but  she  didn't  think  he  would. 
And  now  it  seems  he  has.  I  heard  it  from  the 
old  fellow  himself.  He  was  telling  Norm  about 
it,  while  I  stood  waiting  for  father's  saw.  He 
said  she  was  coming  in  the  stage  this  afternoon  ; 
that  she  had  worked  for  other  folks  long  enough 
and  it  was  time  he  had  some  good  of  her  himself. 
I  pity  her,  I  tell  you." 

Then  the  whistler  had  come  out  from  behind 
the  trees,  and  said  good-afternoon,  and  asked  a 
few  questions.  The  boys  had  answered  him 
civilly  enough,  but  in  a  way  which  showed  that 


NEW    FRIENDS.  77 

they  did  not  count  him  as  one  of  them.  The 
fact  was,  he  was  a  good  deal  of  a  stranger.  He 
had  been  in  town  only  a  few  weeks,  and  he  did 
not  go  to  school,  and  he  boarded  with  or  lived 
with,  the  Smiths,  who  lived  next  door  to  the 
Deckers,  and  were  nice  enough  people,  but  did 
not  have  much  to  do  with  the  fathers  and 
mothers  of  these  boys,  and  —  well,  the  fact  was, 
the  boys  did  not  know  whether  to  take  this  new 
comer  in,  and  make  him  welcome,  or  not.  They 
sort  of  liked  him ;  he  was  good-natured,  and  ac- 
commodating so  far  as  they  knew,  but  they  knew 
very  little  about  him.  He  asked  a  good  many 
questions  about  the  expected  Nan  Decker.  He 
had  never  heard  of  her  before.  Since  he  was  to 
live  next  door  to  her,  it  might  be  pleasant  to 
know  what  sort  of  a  person  she  was.  But  the 
boys  could  tell  him  very  little.  Seven  years,  at 
their  time  of  life,  blots  out  a  good  many  memo- 
ries. They  only  knew  that  she  was  Nan  Decker 
who  went  away  when  her  mother  died,  and  who 
had  lived  with  the  Marshalls  ever  since ;  and  all 
agreed  in  being  sorry  for  her  that  she  was  obliged 
at  last  to  coine  home. 

The  whistling  boy  walked  away,  after  having 
cross-questioned  first  one,  and  then  another,  and 


78         LITTLE    FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

learned  that  they  knew  nothing.  He  was  on  his 
way  to  the  woods  for  one  of  his  long  summer 
rambles.  He  felt  a  trifle  lonely,  and  wished  that 
the  boys  had  asked  him  to  sit  down  under  the 
trees  and  have  a  good  time  with  them. 

He  would  have  liked  to  hear  Ted's  composi- 
tion, he  said  to  himself ;  the  boy  had  a  sweet 
face,  and  a  head  that  looked  as  though  he  might 
be  going  to  make  a  smart  man,  one  of  these  days. 
What  was  the  matter  with  those  fellows,  he  won- 
dered, that  they  were  not  more  cordial  ? 

He  thought  about  it  quite  awhile,  then  plunged 
into  the  mosses  and  ferns  and  gathered  some 
lovely  specimens,  which  he  arranged  in  the  box 
he  carried  slung  over  his  shoulder,  and  forgot  all 
about  the  boys,  and  poor  little  Nan  Decker.  On 
the  way  home,  in  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun,  he 
thought  of  her  again,  and  wondered  if  she  had 
come,  and  if  she  would  be  a  sorrowful  and  home- 
sick little  girl.  It  seemed  queer  to  think  of  being 
homesick  when  one  came  home !  But  then,  it 
was  only  a  home  in  name ;  he  had  not  lived  next 
door  to  it  for  five  weeks  without  discovering 
that,  and  the  little  girl's  mother  was  dead ! 
Poor  Nan  Decker!  A  shadow  came  over  his 
bright  face  for  a  moment  as  he  thought  of  this. 


JERRY  ON  ONE   OF   HIS   SUMMER   RAMBLES. 


NEW   FRIENDS.  79 

His  mother  was  dead.  He  resolved  to  speak  a 
kind  word  to  the  little  girl  the  very  first  time 
that  he  had  a  chance.  And  here  in  the  moon- 
light was  his  chance. 

He  stopped  whistling  at  last  and  spoke :  "  If 
it  is  anything  about  which  I  can  help,  I  shall  be 
very  glad  to  do  it."  A  kind,  cheerful  voice. 

Nettie  looked  up  quickly  and  choked  back  her 
tears.  She  was  not  one  to  cry,  if  there  were  to 
be  any  lookers-on. 

"  I  guess  you  are  homesick,"  said  the  boy  from 
his  horse's  back  ;  and  that  isn't  any  wonder.  I'm 
homesick  myself,  nearly  every  night,  especially 
if  it  is  moonlight.  I  don't  know  what  there  is 
about  the  moon  that  chokes  a  fellow  up  so,  but 
I've  noticed  it  often ;  but  then  I  feel  all  right  in 
the  morning." 

"  Are  you  away  from  your  home  ?  " 

"I  should  say  I  was!  Or  rather  home  has 
gone  away  from  me.  I  haven't  any  home  in  par- 
ticular, only  my  father,  and  he  is  away  out  in 
California.  I  couldn't  go  there  with  him,  and 
since  my  school  closed  I  am  waiting  here  for  him 
to  come  back.  It  is  home,  you  know,  wher- 
ever he  is.  He  doesn't  expect  to  be  back  yet  for 
months.  So  you  and  I  ought  to  be  pretty  good 


80      LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIE  NETS. 

friends,  we  are  such  near  neighbors.  I  live  right 
next  door  to  you.  We  ought  to  be  introduced. 
You  are  Nannie  Decker,  I  suppose,  and  I  am 
Jerry  Mack  at  your  service.  I  don't  wonder  you 
are  homesick ;  folks  always  are,  the  first  night." 

"  My  name  is  Nanette,"  said  Nettie,  gently, 
"  but  people  who  like  me  most  always  say  Nettie : 
and  it  isn't  being  homesick  that  makes  me  feel 
so  badly  —  though  I  am  homesick ;  but  it  is 
being  scared,  and  astonished,  and,  oh  !  every- 
thing. Nothing  is  as  1  thought  it  would  be  ;  and 
there  are  things  about  it  that  I  did  not  under- 
stand at  all,  or  maybe  I  wouldn't  have  come ; 
and  now  I  am  here,  I  don't  know  what  to  do." 
She  was  very  near  crying  again,  in  spite  of  a 
watcher. 

"I  know,"  he  said,  nodding  his  head,  and 
speaking  in  a  grave,  sympathetic  voice.  Job 
Smith  —  that  is  the  man  I  am  staying  with  — 
has  told  me  how  it  used  to  be  with  your  father. 
He  says  he  was  a  very  nice  father  indeed.  I  am 
as  sorry  for  you  as  I  can  be.  But  after  all,  I 
wouldn't  give  up  if  I  were  you  ;  and  I  should  be 
real  glad  that  I  had  come  home  to  help  him. 
He  needs  a  great  deal  of  help.  Folks  reform, 
you  know.  Why,  people  who  are  a  great  deal 


JTEW  FRIENDS.  81 

worse  than  your  father  has  ever  been  yet,  have 
turned  right  around  and  become  splendid  men. 
If  I  were  you  I  would  go  right  to  work  to  have 
him  reform.  Then  there's  Norm  —  he  needs 
help,  too  ;  and  he  ought  to  have  it  before  he  gets 
any  older,  because  it  would  be  so  much  easier 
for  him  to  get  started  right  now." 

"  I  don't  know  the  least  thing  to  do,"  said 
Nettie ;  but  she  dried  her  eyes  on  her  neat  little 
handkerchief  as  she  spoke,  and  sat  up  straight, 
and  looked  with  earnest  eyes  at  the  boy  on  the 
other  side  the  fence.  This  sort  of  talk  interested 
and  helped  her. 

"No;  of  course  you  don't.  You  haven't 
studied  these  things  up,  I  suppose.  But  there 
is  a  great  deal  to  do.  My  father  is  a  temperance 
man,  and  I  have  heard  him  talk.  I  know  a  hun- 
dred things  I  would  like  to  do,  and  a  few  that  I 
can  do.  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Nettie,  say  we 
start  a  society,  you  and  I,  and  fight  this  whole 
thing? 

"  We  can  begin  with  little  bits  of  plans  which 
we  can  carry  out  now,  and  let  them  grow 
as  fast  as  we  can  follow  them,  and  see  what  we 
can  do.  Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

"  There  is  nothing  I  would  like  so  well,  if  you 


82          LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

will  only  show  me  how,"  said  Nettie,  and  her 
eyes  were  shining. 

It  was  wonderful  what  a  weight  these  few 
words  seemed  to  lift  from  her  troubled  heart. 

The  boy's  face  had  grown  more  thoughtful. 
He  seemed  in  doubt  just  how  to  express  what  he 
wanted  to  say  next. 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  feel  about  it,"  he  said 
as  last,  "  but  I  know  somebody  who  would  be 
sure  to  help  in  anything  of  this  kind  that  we 
tried  to  do  —  show  us  how,  you  know,  and  make 
ways  for  us  to  get  money,  and  all  that." 

"Who  is  it?" 

Nettie  spoke  quickly  now,  for  her  heart 
was  beating  loud  and  fast.  Was  there  some- 
body in  this  town  who  could  be  asked  to  come 
to  the  rescue,  and  who  was  willing  to  give 
such  hearty  help  as  that  ?  If  such  were  the  case, 
she  could  see  that  a  great  deal  might  be  accom- 
plished. She  waited  for  her  new  friend's  answer, 
but  he  looked  down  on  the  stick  he  was  whit- 
tling and  gravely  sharpened  the  end  to  a  very 
fine  point,  before  he  spoke  again. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  think  about  such 
things,  but  I  mean  —  God.  I  know  he  is  on  our 
side  in  this  business,  don't  you  V  " 


NEW    FRIKNDS.  83 

"  Yes,"  said  Nettie,  thoughtfully,  and  her 
manner  changed. 

Her  voice  which  had  been  only  eager  before, 
became  soft  and  gentle,  and  she  looked  over  at 
the  boy  in  the  moonlight  and  smiled.  "  I  know 
Him,"  she  said,  "  and  I  am  His  servant.  It  is 
strange  I  forgot  for  a  little  while  that  He  knew 
all  about  this  home,  and  father,  and  everything ! 
Maybe  He  wants  me  to  help  father.  I  mean  to 
begin  right  away.  I  will  do  every  single  thing 
I  can  think  of,  to  keep  father,  and  Norm,  and 
everybody  else  from  drinking  liquor  any  more 
forever." 

There  was  a  sudden  spring  from  the  saw-horse, 
a  long  step  taken  over  the  low  fence,  and  the  boy 
stood  beside  her. 

"There  are  two  of  us,"  he  said  gravely. 
"  There  is  my  hand  on  it.  I  am  a  Christian,  too. 
And  father  gave  me  a  verse  once,  which  always 
helps  me  when  I  think  of  the  rumsellers  :  *  If  God 
be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us ! '  I  know  he  is 
for  us,  and  so,  though  the  rumsellers  are  against 
us,  and  think  they  are  going  to  beat,  one  of  these 
days  he  will  show  them  !  What  you  and  I  want 
to  do  is  to  keep  working  at  it  all  we  can,  so  as  to 
show  that  we  believe  in  him." 


84         LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"  Now  we  are  partners  —  Nettie  Decker  and 
Jerry  Mack,  who  knows  what  we  can  do  ?  Any- 
how, we  are  friends,  and  will  stand  by  each  other 
through  thick  and  thin,  won't  we  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Nettie, "  we  will."  And  she  rose 
up  from  the  doorstep,  and  they  shook  hands. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    GREAT    UNDEBTAKING. 

JERRY  turned  away  whistling.  Did  you 
ever  notice  how  apt  boys  are  to  whistle 
when  something  has  stirred  their  feelings  very 
much,  and  they  don't  intend  that  anybody  but 
themselves  shall  know  it  ? 

Nettie  went  back  into  the  little  brown  house  to 
see  if  her  mother  was  comfortable  for  the  night. 
Her  heart  was  lighter  than  she  had  thought  it 
ever  would  be  again. 

Everything  was  quiet  within  the  house.  The 
children  with  their  arms  tossed  about  one  an- 
other, and  their  cheeks  flushed  with  sleep,  looked 
sweeter  than  they  often  did  awake.  The  heart- 
sick mother  had  forgotten  her  sorrow  again  for 
a  little  while,  in  sleep.  Where  father  and  Nona 
were,  Nettie  did  not  know.  It  seemed  strange 
to  go  away  and  leave  the  light  burning,  and  the 
door  unfastened.  At  home,  they  always  gath- 
85 


86          LITTLE    FISHEES  .'     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

ered  at  about  this  hour,  in  the  neat  sitting-room, 
and  sang  a  hymn  and  repeated  each  a  Bible 
verse,  and  then  Mr.  Marshall  prayed,  and  after 
that  she  kissed  Auntie  Marshall  and  the  others, 
and  tripped  away  to  her  pretty  room.  The  con- 
trast was  very  sharp.  If  it  had  not  been  for  that 
new  friend  whose  voice  she  heard  at  this  moment 
softly  singing  a  cheery  tune,  I  think  the  tears 
would  have  come  again. 

As  it  was,  she  slipped  into  Mrs.  Job  Smith's 
neat  kitchen.  What  a  contrast  that  was  to  the 
kitchen  next  door !  The  first  thing  she  saw  was 
the  tall  old  clock  in  the  corner."  "  Tick-tock, 
tick-tock."  She  had  never  seen  so  large  a  clock 
before ;  she  had  never  heard  one  speak  in  such  a 
slow  and  patronizing  tone,  as  though  it  were 
managing  all  the  world.  She  looked  up  into  its 
face  and  smiled.  It  seemed  like  a  great  strong 
friend. 

There  was  nothing  very  remarkable  about  that 
kitchen.  At  least  I  suppose  you  would  not  have 
thought  so,  unless  you  had  just  spent  an  after- 
noon in  the  Decker  kitchen.  Then  you  might 
have  felt  the  difference.  The  floor  was  painted 
a  bright  yellow,  and  had  gay  rugs  spread  here 
and  there.  The  stove  shone  brilliantly,  and  the 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  87 

two  chairs  under  the  window  were  painted  green, 
with  dazzling  white  seats.  A  high,  old-fashioned, 
wooden-backed  rocker  occupied  a  cosey  corner 
near  the  clock.  A  table  set  against  the  wall  had 
a  bright  spread  on  it,  and  newspapers,  and  a 
book  or  two,  and  a  pair  of  spectacles  lay  on  it. 
The  lamp  was  in  the  centre,  and  was  clear  and 
beautifully  trimmed. 

Simple  enough  things,  all  of  them,  but  they 
spoke  to  Nettie's  heart  of  home. 

There  was  a  brisk  step  on  the  stair ;  the  door 
opened,  and  Mrs.  Smith's  strong,  homely  face 
appeared  in  sight.  "  Here  you  are,"  she  said 
cheerily, "  tired  enough  to  go  to  sleep,  I  dare  say. 
Well,  the  room  is  all  ready  for  you.  I  guess  you 
won't  be  lonesome,  for  it  is  right  out  of  Sarah 
Ann's  room,  and  my  boy  Jerry  is  across  the  hall. 
You've  got  acquainted  with  Jerry,  I  guess  ?  I 
saw  you  and  him  talking,  out  in  the  moonlight. 
I'm  glad  of  it.  Jerry  is  good  at  chirking  a  body 
up  ;  and  there  never  was  a  better  boy  made  than 
he  is. 

"  Now  you  get  right  to  sleep  as  soon  as  you  can, 
and  dream  of  all  the  nice  things  you  can  think 
of.  It  is  good  luck  to  have  nice  dreams  in  a  new 
room,  you  know." 


88         LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"  Poor  little  soul ! "  she  said  to  herself  as  the 
door  closed  after  Nettie.  "  I  hope  she  will  be  so 
sound  asleep  that  she  won't  hear  her  father  and 
Norm  come  stumbling  home.  Isn't  it  a  mean 
thing,  now,  that  the  father  of  such  a  little  girl  as 
that  should  go  and  disgrace  her?" 

Mrs.  Smith  was  talking  to  nobody,  and  so  of 
course  nobody  answered  her ;  and  in  a  little  while 
that  house  was  still  for  the  night.  Nettie,  in  the 
clean,  sweet-smelling  woodhouse  chamber,  was 
soon  on  her  keees  ;  not  sobbing  out  a  homesick 
cry,  as  she  thought  she  would,  as  soon  as  ever 
she  had  a  chance,  but  actually  thanking  God  for 
these  new  friends  ;  and  asking  Him  to  be  One  in 
this  new  society,  and  show  them  just  what  and 
how  to  do.  Then  she  went  into  sound  sleep ;  and 
heard  no  stumbling,  nor  grumbling,  though  both 
father  and  brother  did  much  of  it  when  at  last 
they  shambled  home. 

The  new  plans  came  up  for  consideration  early 
the  next  morning.  Before  Nettie  had  opened  her 
eyes  to  the  neatly  whitewashed  walls  in  the  wood- 
house  chamber,  she  heard  the  sound  of  merry 
whistling,  keeping  time  to  the  swift  blows  of  an 
axe.  Jerry  was  preparing  kindlings.  In  a  very 
short  time  after  that,  he  looked  up  to  say  good- 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  89 

morning,  as  Nettie  was  making  her  way  across 
the  yard  to  the  other  house. 

"Don't  you  want  some  of  these  nice  chips? 
They  will  make  your  kettle  boil  in  a  jiffy." 

This  was  his  good-morning ;  he  held  out  both 
hands  to  her,  full  of  broad  smooth  chips.  "  Aunt 
Jerusha  likes  them  better  than  any  other  kind  ; 
I  keep  her  supplied.  Wait,  I'll  carry  them  in." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't,"  Nettie  said  in  haste,  and 
blushing.  What  would  he  think  of  the  Decker 
kitchen  after  being  used  to  Mrs.  Smith's !  But 
he  took  long  springs  across  the  walk,  vaulted  the 
fence  and  stood  at  the  kitchen  door  waiting  for 
her.  It  looked  even  more  desolate,  in  contrast 
with  the  sunny  morning,  than  it  had  the  night 
before.  Nettie  resolved  to  blacken  the  stove  that 
very  day.  "  Do  you  know  how  to  make  a  fire  ?  " 
Jerry  asked.  "I  do.  I  made  aunt  Jerusha's  for 
her,  two  mornings,  but  it  is  hard  work  to  get 
ahead  of  her." 

Yes,  Nettie  knew  how.  She  had  made  the  fire 
for  the  supper,  in  Mrs.  Marshall's  boarding  house, 
many  a  time.  She  proceeded  to  show  her  skill 
at  once  ;  Jerry,  looking  on  admiringly,  admitted 
that  she  knew  more  about  it  than  he  did. 

"  You  see,  father  and  I  board,"  he  said  apolo- 


90         LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

getically,  "  and  there  isn't  much  chance  to  learn 
things.  I'll  tell  you  what  I  can  do  —  get  you  a 
fresh  pail  of  water." 

Before  she  could  speak,  he  darted  away. 
There  was  a  sound  of  feet  coming  down  the  un- 
finished stairs,  and  Norm  lounged  into  the  room, 
rubbing  sleepy  eyes,  and  looking  as  though  he  had 
not  combed  his  hair  in  a  week.  He  stared  at 
Nettie  as  though  he  had  never  seen  her  before, 
and  answered  her  good-morning,  with  : 

"  I'll  be  bound  if  I  didn't  forget  you  !  Where 
have  you  been  all  night  ?  " 

"Asleep,"  said  Nettie,  brightly.  "Now  I 
want  to  have  breakfast  ready  by  the  time  mother 
comes  out,  to  surprise  her.  Will  you  tell  me 
whether  you  have  tea  or  coffee  ?  " 

Norm  laughed  slightly.  "  We  have  what  we 
can  get,  as  a  rule.  I  heard  mother  say  there 
wasn't  any  tea  in  the  house.  And  I  don't  believe 
we  have  had  any  coffee  for  a  month.  I'd  like 
some,  though  ;  I  know  that.  I've  got  a  quarter  ; 
I'll  go  and  get  some,  if  you  will  make  us  a  first- 
rate  cup  of  coffee." 

"  Well,"  said  Nettie,  «  I'll  do  my  best." 

She  spoke  a  little  doubtfully,  having  a  shrewd 
suspicion  that  the  quarter  ought  to  be  saved  for 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  91 

more  important  things  than  coffee  ;  but  she  did 
not  like  to  object  to  Norm's  first  expressed  idea 
of  partnership ;  so  he  went  away,  and  when  the 
fresh  water  came,  the  teakettle  was  filled,  the 
table  set,  the  potatoes  washed  and  put  in  the 
oven  ;  by  the  time  Mrs.  Decker  appeared,  Nettie, 
with  a  very  flushed  face,  was  bending  over  her 
hot  griddle,  testing  the  cake  she  had  baked. 

"  Well,  I  do  say  !  "  said  Mrs.  Decker,  and  the 
tone  expressed  not  only  surprise,  but  gratitude. 

There  was  a  pleasant  odor  of  coffee  in  the  room, 
and  the  potatoes  were  already  beginning  to  hint 
that  they  would  soon  be  done.  The  cake  that 
Nettie  had  baked  was  as  puffy  and  sweet  as  her 
heart  could  desire. 

"  I  believe  you're  a  witch,"  said  Mrs.  Decker. 
"  I  couldn't  think  of  a  thing  for  breakfast.  Where 
did  you  get  them  cakes  ?" 

"  Made  them,"  said  Nettie ;  "  I  found  a  cup  of 
sour  milk ;  Auntie  Marshall  used  to  let  me  make 
them  often  for  breakfast.  Norm  went  after  the 
coffee  ;  and  I  guess  it  is  good.  I  saved  my  egg 
shell  from  the  cakes  to  settle  it." 

"  You're  a  regular  little  housekeeper,"  said 
Mrs.  Decker.  "  And  so  Norm  went  after  coffee ! 
Did  you  ask  him  to  ?  Went  of  his  own  accord  I 


92       LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIE  NETS. 

That's  something  wonderful  for  Norm.  He  used 
to  think  of  things  for  me  but  he  don't  any  more." 

Altogether,  it  was  really  almost  a  comfortable 
breakfast,  though  it  seemed  to  Nettie  that  she 
would  never  get  it  ready.  She  was  not  used  to 
managing  with  so  few  dishes.  Her  father  drank 
three  cups  of  coffee,  said  it  was  something  like 
living,  and  gave  Nettie  twenty-five  cents,with  the 
direction  that  he  hoped  there  would  be  something 
decent  to  eat  when  they  came  home  at  noon. 

Nettie's  cheeks  were  red  with  more  than  the 
baking  of  cakes,  then.  She  was  ashamed  of  her 
father.  How  could  he  speak  in  a  way  to  insult 
his  wife !  They  went  off  hurriedly  at  last,  Norm 
and  the  father ;  and  the  children  who  had  been 
silent,  began  to  chatter  the  moment  the  door 
closed  after  them.  Mrs.  Decker,  too,  began  to 
talk. 

"  He  thinks  twenty-five  cents  will  buy  a  dinner 
for  us  all,  and  keep  us  in  clothes,  and  get  new 
furniture,  and  dishes  !  He  will  have  it  that  it  is 
because  things  are  wasted  that  we  have  such 
poor  meals.  As  if  I  had  anything  to  waste !  I 
don't  know  what  to  do,  nor  which  way  to  turn. 
We  need  everything." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  had  better  clean  house 


A    GBEAT    UNDERTAKING.  93 

to-day  ?  "  Nettie  asked  a  little  timidly,  as  they 
rose  from  the  table  and  she  began  to  gather  the 
dishes. 

"  Clean  house  ! "  repeated  the  dazed  mother. 
"Why,  yes,  child,  I  suppose  so.  It  needs  it 
badly  enough.  Oh,  we  can  wash  up  the  floor, 
and  the  shelf.  It  doesn't  take  long;  there  are 
not  many  things  in  the  way.  No  furniture  to 
move.  But  it  doesn't  stay  clean  long,  I  can  tell 
you.  Just  one  room  in  which  to  do  everything ! 
I  might  have  kept  it  looking  better,  though,  if 
I  had  not  been  sick.  I  have  just  had  to  let 
everything  go,  child.  Lying  awake  nights,  and 
worrying,  have  used  me  up." 

She  took  the  broom  as  she  spoke  and  began  to 
sweep  vigorously,  scurrying  the  children  out  of 
her  way. 

It  was  a  long  day,  and  a  busy  one.  And  at 
night,  the  room  certainly  looked  better.  The 
floor  had  been  scrubbed  with  hot  lye  to  get  off 
the  grease,  and  the  stove  had  been  blackened 
until  the  children  shouted  that  it  would  do  for 
a  looking-glass.  Several  other  improvements 
had  been  made.  But  after  all,  to  ^Nettie's  eyes 
it  was  dreadfully  bare  and  comfortless.  Not  a 
cushioned  chair,  nor  a  rocker,  nor  anything  that 


94      LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

to  her  seemed  like  home.  All  day  she  had  been 
casting  glances  at  a  closed  door  which  opened 
from  the  kitchen,  and  thinking  her  thoughts 
about  the  room  in  there.  A  large  square  room, 
perfectly  empty.  Why  wasn't  it  used  ?  If  for 
nothing  else,  why  didn't  Norm  sleep  in  it,  instead 
of  in  that  dreadful  unfinished  attic  where  the 
rats  must  certainly  have  full  sweep?  Or  why 
did  not  her  mother  move  in  there  with  the 
trundle  bed,  instead  of  being  cooped  up  in  that 
small  bedroom  ?  Or  why  had  they  not  prepared 
it  for  her  to  sleep  in,  if  they  really  did  not  want 
it  for  anything  else  ?  She  gathered  courage  at 
last,  to  ask  questions. 

"Oh,  that  room,"  her  mother  said  with  bitter- 
ness, "  when  I  first  came  here  to  live,  we  pleased 
ourselves  nights,  after  the  children  were  in  bed, 
telling  what  we  would  have  in  it.  We  meant 
to  furnish  it  for  a  parlor.  We  were  going  to 
have  it  carpeted ;  he  wanted  a  red  carpet,  and  I 
wanted  a  brown  one  with  a  little  bit  of  pink  in, 
but  land  !  I  would  have  taken  one  that  was  all 
yellow,  just  to  please  him.  And  we  were  going 
to  have  a  lounge,  and  two  rocking  chairs,  and  I 
don't  know  what  not.  And  there  it  is,  shut  up. 
I  might  have  had  it  for  a  bedroom  at  first,  but 


A.    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  95 

I  wouldn't.  I  wanted  to  save  it.  And  then, 
when  I  gave  that  all  up,  there  was  nothing  to 
fix  it  with.  Norm  couldn't  sleep  there  without 
curtains  to  the  windows;  no  more  could  we;  it 
is  right  on  the  street,  almost. 

"  And  things  keep  getting  worse  and  worse,  so 
I  just  shut  the  door  and  locked  it  and  let  it  go. 
If  I  had  had  a  spare  chair  to  put  in,  I  might 
have  gone  in  there  and  cried,  now  and  then,  but 
I  hadn't  even  that.  I  tried  to  rent  it ;  but  the 
woman  who  was  hunting  rooms  heard  that  your 
father  drank,  and  was  afraid  to  come.  Oh,  we 
have  a  splendid  name  in  the  place,  you'll  find. 
We  are  just  going  to  ruin  as  fast  as  a  family 
can ;  that's  the  whole  story." 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, when  Nettie  had 
done  everything  she  could  think  of,  unless  some 
money  could  be  raised,  and  some  clothes  made, 
so  that  the  children  could  have  the  ones  washed 
which  they  were  wearing,  she  stood  in  the  back 
door,  wondering  how,  that  could  be  brought 
about,  when  Jerry  appeared  in  his  favorite  seat 
on  the  sawhorse. 

"  Everything  done  up  for  the  day  ?  "  he  asked. 

Nettie  laughed. 

"  Everything  has   stopped   for   the  want  of 


96          LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

things  to  do  with,"  she  said.  "I  don't  see  but 
that  will  be  the  trouble  with  what  we  want  to 
do.  Why,  you  can't  do  a  single  thing  without 
money;  and  where  is  it  to  come  from?" 

"  That  is  one  of  the  things  we  must  think  up," 
Jerry  said  gravely.  "I  have  thought  about  it 
some.  This  temperance  business  needs  money. 
One  of  the  troubles  with  boys  like  Norm  is  that 
they  have  no  nice  places  to  go  to.  Boys  like  to 
meet  together  and  talk  things  over,  you  know, 
and  have  a  good  time,  and  how  are  some  of  them 
going  to  do  it?  The  church  isn't  the  place,  nor 
the  schoolhouse,  and  those  fellows  haven't  pleas- 
ant homes ;  the  only  spot  for  them  is  the  saloons. 
I  don't  much  wonder  that  they  get  in  the  habit 
of  going  there.  I  have  heard  my  father  say  that 
saloons  were  the  only  places  that  were  fixed  up, 
and  lighted,  where  folks  without  any  pleasant 
homes  were  made  welcome.  Why,  just  look  at 
it  in  this  town.  There's  your  Norm.  There  are 
two  fellows  who  go  with  him  a  great  deal.  If 
you  meet  one,  you  may  be  sure  that  the  other 
two  are  not  far  away.  Their  names  are  Alf 
Barnes  and  Rick  Walker.  Neither  of  them 
have  as  decent  a  home  as  Norm's,  oh  !  not  by  a 
good  deal.  And  he  doesn't  feel  like  inviting  them 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  97 

into  your  kitchen  to  spend  the  evening.  Should 
you  think  he  would?" 

Warm  as  the  day  was,  Nettie  shivered.  "  I 
should  think  they  would  rather  stay  out  in  the 
street  than  to  come  there,"  she  said. 

"  Well,  now  you  see  how  it  is.  They  don't 
stay  in  the  streets,  such  fellows  don't.  Not  all 
the  time.  They  get  tired,  and  sometimes  it  rains, 
and  in  winter  it  is  cold,  and  they  look  about 
them  for  somewhere  to  go.  There's  a  saloon, 
bright  and  clean  ;  comfortable  chairs,  and  good- 
natured  people.  It  is  the  only  place  that  says 
Come  in !  to  such  fellows.  Why  shouldn't  they 
go  in? 

"  I've  heard  my  father  talk  about  this  by  the 
hour.  In  big  cities  they  have  rooms  warmed 
and  lighted,  and  nicely  furnished,  on  purpose  for 
such  young  men  ;  only  father  is  always  saying 
that  they  don't  begin  to  have  enough  of  them  ; 
but  in  such  a  town  as  this,  I  would  like  to  know 
what  the  boys  who  haven't  nice  homes  to  stay 
in,  are  expected  to  do  with  themselves  evenings? 
One  of  these  days,  when  I  am  a  man,  that  is  the 
way  I  am  going  to  use  all  my  extra  money.  I'll 
hunt  out  towns  where  the  fellows  have  just  been 
left  to  stay  in  the  streets,  or  else  go  to  the  rum- 


98      LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

holes,  and  I'll  fit  up  the  nicest  kind  of  a  room 
for  them.  Bright  as  gas  can  make  it,  and  ele- 
gant, you  know,  like  a  parlor;  and  I'll  have 
cakes,  and  coffee,  and  lemonades,  and  all  those 
things,  cheaper  than  beer,  and  serve  them  in  fine 
style.  Wouldn't  that  be  a  fine  thing  to  do  ?  " 

"Then  the  first  thing,"  said  Nettie,  "is  a 
room." 

Jerry  turned  round  on  his  horse  and  looked 
full  at  her  and  laughed.  "  You  talk  as  though 
it  was  to  be  done  now,"  he  said.  "  I  was  telling 
what  I  would  do  in  that  dim  future,  when  I  be- 
come a  man." 

"  We  might  begin  pieces  of  it  now.  Norm 
will  be  too  old  when  you  are  a  man  ;  and  so  will 
those  others.  There  is  our  front  room.  If  we 
only  had  some  furniture  to  put  in  it.  My  Auntie 
Marshall  made  some  real  pretty  seats  once,  out 
of  old  boxes  ;  she  padded  them  with  cotton,  and 
covered  them  with  pretty  calico,  and  you  can't 
think  how  nice  they  were.  I  could  make  some, 
if  I  had  the  boxes  and  the  calico." 

"  I  could  get  the  boxes,"  said  Jerry.  "  I  know 
a  man  in  the  blacksmith  shop  who  has  a  brother 
in  the  grocery  down  at  the  corner,  and  he  could 
get  boxes  for  us  of  him,  I'm  pretty  sure.  He  is 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  99 

a  nice  man,  that  blacksmith.  I  like  him  better 
than  any  man  in  town,  I  believe.  I  could  fix 
covers  on  the  bores  myself,  and  do  several  other 
things.  I  have  a  box  of  tools,  and  I  often  make 
little  things.  I  say,  Nettie,  let's  fix  up  the  front 
room.  I've  often  wondered  what  there  was  in 
there.  Would  your  mother  let  us  have  it?" 

"  She  would  let  us  have  most  everything,  I 
guess,"  Nettie  said  thoughtfully, "  if  she  thought 
it  would  do  any  good." 

"All  right.  We'll  make  it  do  some  good. 
Let's  set  to  work  right  away.  The  first  thing  as 
you  say,  is  a  room.  No,  we  have  the  room  ;  the 
first  thing  is  furniture.  I'll  go  a*nd  see  Mr. 
Collins  this  very  evening.  He  is  the  black- 
smith." 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  from  that  time 
Jerry  stood  beside  Mr.  Collins. 

That  gentleman  had  on  his  big  leather  apron, 
and  was  busy  about  his  work  as  usual. 

"Boxes?"  he  said  to  Jerry.  "Why,  yes, 
there  are  piles  of  them  in  his  cellar,  and  out  by 
his  back  door.  I  should  think  he  would  be  glad 
to  get  rid  of  some.  But  what  do  you  want  of 

them  ?    Furniture  ?    How  are  you  going  to  make 

• 
furniture  out  of  boxes  ?    What  put  such  a  notion 


100    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

as  that  into  your  head,  and  what  do  you  want  of 
furniture,  anyhow?" 

So  Jerry  sat  down  on  a  box  and  told  the 
whole  story.  Mr.  Collins  listened,  and  nodded, 
and  shook  his  head,  and  smiled  grimly,  occasion- 
ally, and  sighed,  and  in  every  possible  way 
showed  his  interest  and  appreciation. 

"  And  so  you  two  are  going  to  take  hold  and 
reform  the  town  ?  "  he  said  at  last.  "  Humph  ! 
Well,  it  needs  it  bad  enough  ?  if  old  boxes  will 
help,  it  stands  to  reason  that  you  ought  to  have 
as  many  as  you  want.  I'll  engage  to  see  that  you 
get  them." 

When  Mr  "Collins  told  his  brother-in-law,  the 
grocer,  the  two  laughed  a  good  deal,  but  the 
blacksmith  finished  his  story  with,  "  Well,  now 
I  tell  you  what  it  is  —  something  is  better  than 
nothing,  any  day;  there's  been  nothing  done 
here  for  so  long  that  I  think  it  is  kind  of  wonder- 
ful that  those  two  young  things  should  start  up 
and  try  to  do  something." 

"So  do  I,  so  do  I,"  assented  the  grocer, 
heartily,  "  and  if  old  boxes  will  help  'em,  why, 
land,  they're  welcome  to  as  many  as  they  can 
use.  Tell  the  chap  to  step  around  here  and 
select  his  lumber,  and  I'll  have  it  delivered." 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  101 

This  message  Jerry  was  not  slow  to  obey ;  so 
it  happened  that  the  very  next  afternoon  Mrs. 
Job  Smith  stood  in  her  back  door  and  watched 
with  curious  eyes  the  unloading  of  the  grocer's 
wagon.  Six,  seven,  eight  empty  boxes !  "  For 
the  land's  sake,  what  be  you  going  to  do  with 
them  ?  "  she  asked  Jerry. 

Mrs.  Job  Smith  had  a  great  warm  heart,  but 
no  education  to  speak  of ;  and  no  mother  had,  in 
her  childhood,  begged  her  a  dozen  times  a  day 
not  to  use  such  expressions  as  "for  the  land's 
sake !  "  she  knew  no  better  than  to  suppose  they 
added  emphasis  to  her  words ;  Jerry  laughed. 

"  It  is  for  the  room's  sake,  auntie,"  he  said. 
"  We  are  going  to  have  a  cabinet  shop  in  the 
barn  loft.  Mr.  Smith  said  I  might.  I  shall  make 
some  nice  things,  auntie,  see  if  I  don't.  Come 
up  in  the  loft,  will  you,  and  see  my  tool  chest  ?  " 

This  last  sentence  waa  addressed  to  Nettie 
who  had  appeared  in  her  back  door  to  admire 
the  boxes.  So  the  two  climbed  the  ladder  stairs, 
Nettie  a  little  timidly  as  one  unused  to  ladders, 
and  Jerry  with  quick  springs,  holding  out  his 
hand  to  her  at  the  top,  to  help  her  in  making  the 
final  leap.  Then  he  took  from  his  pocket  a  cu- 
rious little  key  which  he  explained  to  Nettie 


102       LITTLE    FISHERS  I     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

would  open  that  tool  chest  provided  you  knew 
how  to  use  it ;  but  he  supposed  that  a  man  who 
had  stolen  it  might  try  for  a  week,  and  yet  not 
get  into  the  chest. 

A  skilful  touch,  and  the  handsome  chest  was 
open  before  her,  displaying  its  wonders  to  her 
pleased  eyes.  It  was  a  well-stocked  chest.  Ch  is- 
els,  and  saws,  and  hammers,  and  augers,  and 
sharp,  wicked-looking  little  things  for  which  Net- 
tie had  no  name,  gleamed  before  her. 

"  How  nice !  "  she  said  at  last.  "  How  splen- 
did !  It  looks  as  though  somebody  who  knew 
how,  could  make  splendid  things  with  them." 

"  And  I  know  how,"  said  Jerry.  "  At  least,  I 
know  some  things.  I  spent  a  summer  down  in 
alittle  country  town  where  father  had  some  busi- 
ness ;  and  the  man  we  boarded  with  kept  a  small 
shop,  where  all  sorts  of  things  were  made.  Not 
a  great  factory,  you  know,  where  they  make  a 
thousand  chairs  of  one  kind,  and  a  thousand  of 
another,  and  never  make  anything  but  chairs. 
This  was  just  a  little  country  shop,  where  they 
made  a  table  one  day,  and  a  chair  the  next,  and 
a  bedstead  the  next ;  and  you  could  watch  the 
men  at  work,  and  ask  questions  and  learn  ever  so 
much.  I  got  so  I  could  use  tools,  as  well  as  the 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  103 

next  one,  Mr.  Braisted  said,  whatever  he  meant 
by  that.  Father  liked  to  have  me  learn.  He 
said  tools  were  the  cleanest  sharp  things  that  he 
knew  anything  about.  I  can  make  ever  so  many 
things.  I  like  to  do  it.  I  wonder  I  have  not 
been  about  it  since  I  came  here.  Now  what  shall 
we  go  at  first  ?  What  does  your  mother  say  about 
the  room  ?  " 

"  She  is  willing,"  said  Nettie, "  only  she  doesn't 
see  how  much  of  anything  can  be  done.  She  is 
most  discouraged,  you  see,  and  nothing  looks 
possible  to  her,  I  suppose." 

"That's  all  right.  She  can't  be  expected  to 
know  we  can  do  things  until  ~we  show  her.  If 
she  will  let  us  try,  that  is  all  we  need  ask." 

"  She  says  the  room  ought  to  have  some  kind 
of  a  carpet ;  they  always  have  carpets  in  home- 
like rooms,  she  says;  and  I  guess  that  is  so. 
Except  in  kitchens,  of  course." 

Nettie  hastened  to  say  this,  apologetically, 
thinking  of  Mrs.  Job  Smith's  bright  yellow 
floor. 

Jerry  whistled. 

"  That  is  so,  I  suppose,"  he  said  thoughtfully ; 
"and  they  don't  make  carpets  out  of  boxes, 
nor  with  saws  and  hammers,  do  they  ?  I  don't 


104      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

know  how  we  would  manage  that.  There  must 
be  a  way  to  do  it,  though.  Let's  put  that  one 
side  among  the  things  that  have  got  to  be  thought 
about." 

"  And  prayed  about,"  said  Nettie. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  flashing  a  very  bright  look  at 
her,  "I  thought  that,  but  somehow  I  did  not  like 
to  say  it  out,  in  so  many  words." 

"  I  wonder  why  ?  "  said  Nettie  thoughtfully  ; 
"  I  mean,  I  wonder  why  it  is  so  much  harder  to 
say  things  of  that  kind  than  it  is  to  speak  about 
anything  else  ?  " 

"  Father  used  to  say  it  was  because  people 
didn't  get  in  the  habit  of  talking  about  religion 
in  a  common  sense  way.  They  don't,  you  know ; 
hardly  anybody.  At  least  hardly  anybody  that 
I  know;  around  here,  anyway.  Now  my  father 
speaks  of  those  things  just  as  easy  as  he  does 
of  anything." 

"  So  does  Auntie  Marshall ;  but  I  used  to  no- 
tice that  not  many  people  did.  Your  father 
must  be  a  good  man." 

"  There  never  was  a  better  one  !  " 

Notwithstanding  Jerry  said  all  this  with  tre- 
mendous energy,  his  voice  trembled  a  little,  and 
there  came  one  of  those  dashes  of  feeling  over 


A    GREAT    UNDERTAKING.  105 

him  which  made  him  think  that  he  must  drop 
everything  and  go  to  that  dear  father  right 
away. 

"  When  he  comes  after  you  and  takes  you 
away,  what  will  I  do  ?  " 

Nettie's  mournful  tone  restored  the  boy's  cour- 
age. 

He  laughed  a  little.  "No  use  in  borrow- 
ing trouble  about  that.  He  is  afraid  he  cannot 
come  back  before  winter,  if  he  does  then.  I'm 
going  to  get  him  to  let  me  stay  here  until  he  does 
come,  though.  And  now  we  must  attend  to  busi- 
ness. What  will  you  have  first  in  my  line? 
Chairs,  tables,  sofas  —  why,  anything  you  say, 
ma'am." 

And  both  faces  were  sunny  again. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HOW   IT    SUCCEEDED. 

~]V /TRS.  JOB  SMITH  leaned  against  the  ta- 
-**>•*-  ble  in  her  bright  kitchen,  caught  up  the 
edge  of  her  apron  in  one  hand,  then  leaned  both 
hands  on  her  sides,  and  thought.  Jerry  had  been 
consulting  her.  Was  there  any  way  of  planning 
BO  that  the  front  room  in  the  Decker  house  could 
have  a  carpet  ?  He  repeated  all  Mrs.  Decker  said 
.about  a  room  not  being  home-like  without  one, 
and  Mrs.  Smith,  at  first  inclined  to  combat  the 
idea,  finally  admitted  that  in  winter  a  room  where 
you  sat  down  to  visit,  did  look  kind  of  desolate 
without  a  carpet,  unless  it  was  a  kitchen,  and  had 
a  good-sized  cook  stove  to  brighten  it  up.  There 
was  no  denying  that  that  square  front  room 
would  be  the  better  for  a  carpet.  At  the  same 
time  there  was  no  denying  that  the  Deckers 
needed  a  hundred  other  things  worse  than  they 
did  a  carpet.  But  the  hearts  of  the  boy  and  girl 
106 


HOW   IT    SUCCEEDED.  107 

were  bent  on  having  one  ;  and  what  the  boy  was 
bent  on,  Mrs.  Job  Smith  liked  to  have  accom- 
plished, and  believed  sooner  or  later  that  it  would 
be.  The  question  was,  How  could  she  help  to 
bring  it  about  ? 

"  There's  that  roll  of  rag  carpeting,  bran-new," 
she  said  aloud ;  Mrs.  Smith  had  spent  a  good 
deal  of  her  time  alone  and  had  learned  to  hold 
long  conversations  with  herself,  arguing  out 
questions  as  well,  sometimes  she  thought  better, 
than  a  second  party  could  have  done.  At  this 
point  she  put  her  hands  on  her  sides.  "  There's 
enough  of  it,  and  more  than  enough.  I  had  it 
made  for  the  front  room  the  year  poor  Hannah 
died,  and  sent  me  that  boughten  carpet  which 
just  exactly  fitted,  and  is  good  for  ten  years' 
wear.  That  rag  carpeting  has  been  rolled  up 
and  done  up  in  tobacco  and  things  ever  since  — 
most  two  years.  Sarah  Jane  doesn't  need  it, 
and  I  don't  know  as  I  shall  ever  put  it  on  the 
kitchen.  I  don't  like  a  great  heavy  carpet  in  a 
kitchen,  much,  anyway  ;  rugs,  and  square  pieces 
that  a  body  can  take  up  and  shake,  are  enough 
sight  neater,  to  my  way  of  thinking.  But  I  can't 
afford  to  give  away  bran-new  carpeting.  To  be 
sure  it  only  cost  me  the  warp  and  the  weaving ; 


108      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

and  I  got  the  warp  at  a  bargain,  and  old  Mother 
Turner  never  did  ask  me  as  much  for  weaving 
as  she  did  other  folks.  The  rags  was  every  one 
of  them  saved  up.  Poor  Hannah  used  to  send 
me  a  lot  of  rags,  and  Sarah  Jane  and  I  sewed 
them  at  odd  spells  when  we  wouldn't  have  been 
doing  anything.  It  is  a  good  deal  of  bother  to 
take  care  of  it,  and  I'm  always  afraid  the  moths 
will  get  ahead  of  me,  and  eat  it  up.  I  might  sell 
it  to  her  for  what  the  warp  and  the  weaving  cost 
me.  But  land  !  what  would  she  pay  with  ?  I 
might  give  her  a  chance  to  do  ironing.  I  have 
to  turn  away  fine  ironing  every  week  of  my  life 
because  I  can't  do  more  than  accommodate  my 
old  customers.  Who  knows  but  she  is  a  pretty 
good  ironer  ?  I  might  give  her  the  coarse  parts 
to  iron,  and  watch  her,  and  find  out.  Job  is  al- 
ways at  me  to  have  somebody  help  with  the  big 
ironings,  and  I  have  always  said  I  wouldn't  have 
a  girl  bothering  around,  I  would  rather  take  less 
to  do.  But  then,  she  is  a  decent  quiet  body,  and 
that  Nettie  is  just  a  little  woman.  She  will  have 
to  do  something  to  help  along  if  they  ever  get 
started  in  being  decent ;  perhaps  ironing  is  the 
thing  for  her,  and  I  can  start  her  if  she  knows 
how  to  do  it.  For  the  matter  of  that,  I  might 


HOW   IT   SUCCEEDED.  109 

teach  her  how,  if  she  wanted  to  learn.  To  be  sure 
they  need  other  things  more  than  carpets,  but 
it  wouldn't  take  her  long  to  pay  for  this,  if  I  just 
charge  for  the  weaving.  I  might  throw  in  the 
warp,  maybe,  seeing  I  got  it  at  a  bargain.  The 
two  are  so  bent  on  having  a  carpet  for  that 
room ;  and  Jerry,  he  said  he  had  prayed  about 
it,  and  while  he  was  on  his  knees,  it  kind  of 
seemed  to  him  as  though  I  was  the  one  to  get  to' 
think  it  out.  That's  queer  now  !  Jerry  don't 
know  anything  about  the  carpet  rolled  up  in  to- 
bacco in  the  box  in  the  garret ;  why  should  he 
think  that  I  could  help  ?  I  feel  almost  bound  to, 
somehow,  after  that.  I  don't  like  to  have  Jerry 
disappointed,  nor  the  little  girl  either,  now  that's 
a  fact.  I  take  to  that  little  Nettie  amazingly. 
Well,  I  know  what  I'll  do.  I'll  talk  with  Job 
about  it,  and  if  he  is  agreed,  maybe  we  will  see 
what  she  says  to  it." 

This  last  was  a  kind  of  "  make  believe,"  and 
the  good  woman  knew  it ;  Job  Smith  thought  that 
his  wife  was  the  wisest,  most  prudent,  most  capa- 
ble woman  in  the  world,  and  besides  being  sure  to 
agree  to  whatever  she  had  to  propose,  he  was 
himself  of  such  a  nature  that  he  would  have  given 
away  unhesitatingly  the  very  clothes  he  wore,  if 


110    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

he  thought  somebody  else  needed  them  more 
than  he.  There  was  little  need  to  fear  that  Job 
Smith  would  ever  put  a  stumbling-block  in  the 
way  of  any  benevolence. 

But  who  shall  undertake  to  tell  you  how  aston- 
ished Mrs.  Decker  was  when  Mrs.  Smith,  having 
duly  considered,  and  talked  with  Sarah  Jane, 
and  talked  with  Job,  and  unrolled  the  tobacco- 
smelling  carpet,  and  examined  it  carefully,  did 
finally  come  over  to  the  Decker  home  with  her 
startling  proposition.  It  is  true  that  a  carpet 
had  taken  perhaps  undue  proportions  in  this 
poor  woman's  eyes.  Her  best  room  during  all 
the  years  of  her  past  life  had  never  been  without 
a  neat  bright  carpet;  it  had  been  the  pleasant 
dream  of  her  second  married  life,  so  long  as  any 
pleasantness  had  been  left  to  allow  of  dreaming ; 
and  she  could  not  get  away  from  the  feeling  that 
people  who  had  not  a  scrap  of  carpeting  for  their 
best  room,  were  very  low  down.  She  opened 
her  eyes  very  wide  while  listening  to  Mrs. 
Smith's  rapidly  told  story.  What  kind  of  a  car- 
pet could  it  be  that  was  offered  to  her  for  simply 
the  price  of  the  weaving  ?  for  Job  and  his  wife 
after  some  figuring  with  pencil  and  paper,  had 
agreed  together  heartily  to  throw  in  the  warp. 


HOW   IT   SUCCEEDED.  Ill 

She  went  over  to  the  neat  kitchen  and  examined 
the  carpet.  It  was  bright  and  pretty.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  red  in  it,  and  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  brown  ;  a  blending  of  the  two  col- 
ors which  had  been  the  subject  of  much  discus- 
sion between  herself  and  husband  in  the  days 
when  Mr.  Decker  talked  anything  about  the  com- 
forts of  his  home.  How  well  it  would  look  in 
the  square  room  which  had  two  windows,  and 
was  really  the  only  pleasant  room  in  the  house. 
Surely  she  could  iron  enough  to  pay  for  that. 

"  I  am  not  very  strong,"  she  said  with  a  sigh. 
"  I  used  to  be,  but  of  late  I've  been  failing.  But 
Nannie  is  so  handy,  and  so  willing,  that  she 
saves  me  a  great  deal,  and  she  has  a  notion  that 
she  would  like  to  fix  up  the  front  room  and  try 
to  get  hold  of  my  Norm.  It  would  be  worth 
trying,  maybe,  but  I  don't  know.  We  are  very 
low  down,  Mrs.  Smith." 

And  then  Mrs.  Decker  sank  into  one  of  the 
green  painted  chairs  and  cried. 

"  Of  course  it  is  worth  trying,"  Mrs.  Smith 
said,  bustling  about,  as  though  she  must  find 
some  more  windows  to  raise ;  tears  always  made 
her  feel  as  though  she  was  choking.  u  If  I  were 
you  I  would  have  a  carpet,  and  curtains  to  the 


112      LITTLE   FISHEES:    AND    THEIE   NETS. 

windows,  and  lots  of  nice  things,  and  make  a 
home  fit  for  that  boy  of  yours  to  have  a  good 
time  in.  There  is  nothing  like  a  nice  pleasant 
home  to  keep  a  boy  from  going  wrong." 

Before  Mrs.  Decker  went  home,  she  had  prom- 
ised to  try  the  ironing  the  very  next  week,  and 
if  she  could  do  it  well  enough  to  suit  Mrs.  Smith, 
the  carpet  should  be  bought. 

"Poor  thing  ! "  said  Mrs!  Smith,  looking  after 
her,  and  rubbing  her  eyes  with  the  corner  of  her 
apron.  "  The  ironing  shall  suit ;  if  she  irons 
wrinkles  into  the  collars  and  creases  in  the  cuffs, 
I  won't  say  a  word  ;  only  I  guess  maybe  I  won't 
give  her  collars  and  cuffs  to  iron ;  not  till  she 
learns  how.  I  ought  to  have  done  something  to 
kind  of  help  her  along  before ;  only  I  don't  know 
what  it  would  have  been.  It  takes  that  boy  of 
mine  to  set  folks  to  work." 

Meantime,  "  that  boy  "  sat  in  the  kitchen  door, 
studying.  Not  from  a  book,  but  from  his  own 
puzzled  thoughts.  He  did  not  see  his  way  clear. 
Under  Nettie's  direction  he  had  planned  a  very 
satisfactory  sofa  with  a  back  to  it,  and  two  chairs, 
but  how  to  get  the  material  needed  to  finish 
them,  and  also  for  curtains  for  the  new  room,  had 
sent  Nettie  home  in  bewilderment,  and  stranded 


HOW    IT    SUCCEEDED.  113 

him  on  the  doorstep  in  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon to  think  it  out. 

"  How  much  stuff  does  it  take  for  curtains, 
anyhow  ?  " 

"For  curtains?"  said  Mrs.  Smith,  coming 
back  with  a  start  from  her  ironing  table  and  the 
plan  she  had  for  teaching  Mrs.  Decker  to  iron 
shirts.  "  Why,  that  depends  on  what  kind  of 
stuff  it  is,  and  how  many  curtains  you  want,  and 
how  big  the  windows  are." 

"  Well,  what  do  they  use  for  curtains?" 

Mrs.  Smith  still  looked  bewildered. 

"  A  great  many  things,  Jerry.  They  have  lace 
curtains,  and  linen  ones,  and  muslin  ones,  and  in 
some  of  the  rooms  up  at  Mrs.  Barlow's,on  the  hill, 
you  know,  when  I  helped  her  do  up  curtains  that 
time,  they  had  great  heavy  silk  things,  or  maybe 
velvet,  though  the  stuff  didn't  look  much  like 
either.  I  don't  rightly  know  what  it  was,  but  it 
was  heavy,  and  soft,  and  satiny,  and  shone  like 
gold,  in  some  places." 

Jerry  turned  around  on  the  doorstep  and 
looked  full  at  Mrs.  Smith,  and  laughed. 

"I  know,"  he  said, "  I  have  seen  such  curtains. 
They  are  damask.  I  am  not  thinking  about  lace, 
and  damask,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  I  mean 


114    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

for  Mrs.  Decker's  front  room.  What  could  be 
used  that  would  do,  and  how  much  would  they 
cost  ?  " 

"  Surely  1 "  said  Mrs.  Smith,  coming  down  to 
everyday  life.  "  What  a  goose  I  was.  I  might 
have  known  what  you  were  thinking  about. 
Why,  let  me  see.  Cheese  cloth  makes  real  pretty 
curtains  ;  if  you  have  a  bit  of  bright  calico  to  put 
over  the  top,  and  a  nice  hem  in,  or  maybe  some 
bright  calico  at  the  bottom  to  help  them  hang 
straight,  I  don't  know  as  there  is  anything  much 
prettier.  Though  to  be  sure  they  aren't  good 
for  much  to  keep  people  from  looking  in ;  and 
they  aren't  quite  suitable  for  winter.  I  suppose 
you  want  to  plan  for  winter,  too  ?  I'll  tell  you 
what  it  is,  I  believe  that  unbleached  muslin  makes 
about  as  pretty  a  curtain  as  a  body  could  have ; 
put  bright  red  at  the  top  and  bottom,  and  they 
look  real  nice." 

"  What  is  unbleached  muslin  ?  I  mean,  how 
much  does  it  cost  ?  " 

"  Why,"  said  Mrs.  Smith,  dropping  into  her 
rocking-chair,  and  folding  her  hands  on  her  lap 
to  give  her  mind  fully  to  the  important  question, 
"as  to  that,  I  should  have  to  think;  I'm  not 
very  good  at  figures.  Unbleached  muslin  costs 


HOW   IT    SUCCEEDED.  115 

about  eight  cents  a  yard,  or  maybe  ten ;  we'll 
say  ten,  because  I've  always  noticed  that  was 
easier  to  calculate.  Ten  cents  a  yard,  and  two 
windows,  say  two  yards  to  each,  and  no,  two 
yards  to  each  half,  four  yards  to  each,  and  twice 
four  is  eight,  eight  yards  at  ten  cents  a  yard. 
How  much  would  that  be,  Jerry  ?  You  can  tell 
in  a  minute,  I  dare  say." 

"  Eighty  cents,"  said  Jerry  with  a  sigh.  "  I 
am  afraid  she  will  think  that  is  a  great  deal. 
And  then  there's  the  red  to  put  on  them.  What 
does  that  cost  ?  " 

"  Why,  that  ought  to  be  oil  calico,  because  the 
other  kind  ain't  fast  colors.  I  don't  much  be- 
lieve you  could  get  those  curtains  up  short  of 
fifty  cents  apiece ;  and  that  is  a  good  deal  for 
curtains,  that's  a  fact.  Paper  ones  don't  cost  so 
much,  but  then  there's  the  rollers  and  the  fasten- 
ings, I  don't  know  but  they  do  cost  just  as  much. 
And  then  they  tear." 

"I  don't  want  her  to  have  paper  ones,"  said 
Jerry  decisively.  "  A  dollar  for  the  curtains, 
and  I  don't  know  how  much  more  for  the  furni- 
ture. She  can't  imagine  where  the  money  is  to 
come  from." 

"  I  could  tell  where  it  ought  to  coma  from," 


116         LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

said  Mrs.  Smith,  nodding  her  head  and  looking 
severe.  "  It  ought  to  come  out  of  Joe  Decker's 
pocket.  He  makes  his  dollar  a  day,  even  now, 
when  he  doesn't  half  work ;  Job  said  so  only  last 
nisrht.  But  furniture  is  dreadful  dear  stuff, 

O  * 

Jerry,  worse  than  curtains.  And  they  need 
about  everything.  I  never  did  see  such  a  deso- 
late house  !  And  those  little  girls  need  clothes." 

"Nettie  is  going  to  make  them  some  clothes," 
said  Jerry ; "  she  has  some  that  she  has  outgrown ; 
a  great  roll  in  her  trunk;  she  is  going  to  make 
them  over  to  fit  the  little  girls.  She  is  at  work 
at  some  of  them  to-day.  And  you  know,  auntie, 
I  am  making  the  furniture." 

"  Making  it !  " 

"  Well,  making  its  skeleton.  If  we  had  some 
clothes  to  put  on  it,  I  guess  it  would  be  furniture. 
I've  made  a  sofa,  and  two  chairs,  and  I'm  at 
work  at  a  table.  Only  I  would  like  to  see  how 
the  things  were  going  to  look,  before  I  went  any 
farther." 

"Making  furniture!"  repeated  dazed  Mrs. 
Smith ;  and  she  shook  her  head.  "  I  don't  see 
how  you  can !  You  can  do  a  great  many  things 
that  no  other  boy  ever  thought  of;  but  I'm 
afraid  that's  beyond  you." 


HOW    IT    SUCCEEDED.  117 

"Why,  you  see,  auntie,  she  has  seen  some 
made,  and  she  showed  me  what  to  do  with  ham- 
mer and  nails.  You  make  a  frame,  just  the 
size  you  want  for  a  sofa,  and  put  a  back  to  it, 
then  it  is  padded  with  cotton,  and  covered  with 
something  bright,  cretonne,  I  think  she  said 
they  called  it,  only  it  wasn't  real  cretonne,  but 
a  cheap  imitation,  and  they  tack  a  skirt  to  the 
thing  in  puckers,  so,"  and  he  caught  up  a  bit  of 
Mrs.  Smith's  apron  to  illustrate. 

"  I  see,"  she  said,  nodding  her  head  and  speak- 
ing in  an  admiring  tone.  "  What  a  contriving 
little  thing  she  is!  And  what  about  the 
chairs?" 

"The  chairs  are  served  in  very  much  the 
same  way.  The  table  is  just  two  flat  boards  and 
a  post  between  them,  nailed  firmly,  then  they 
tack  red  calico,  or  blue,  or  whatever  they  want, 
around  it,  and  cover  it  with  thin  white  cheese 
cloth  or  some  lacey  stuff,  she  had  the  name  of 
it,  but  I've  forgotten  ;  it  doesn't  cost  much,  she 
said,  and  tie  a  sash  around  it,  and  it  looks  like 
an  hour  glass.  The  question  is,  where  are  the 
cotton  and  calico  to  come  from  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Smith,  "  you  two  do  beat 
all !  It  can't  take  much  stuff  for  a  little  table ; 


118      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIK   NETS. 

and  I  can  see  that  they  might  be  real  pretty.  I 
want  a  table  myself,  to  stand  under  the  glass  in 
my  front  room.  What  if  you  was  to  make  two, 
and  I'd  get  cloth  enough  for  two,  and  she  would 
do  mine  and  hers,  to  pay  for  the  cloth?" 

Jerry  sprang  up  from  his  doorstep,  and  came 
over  and  put  both  arms  around  Mrs.  Smith's 
trim  waist. 

"  Hurrah ! "  he  said ;  "  you  are  the  contriver. 
That  will  do  splendidly.  I'll  go  this  minute  and 
set  up  the  skeleton  of  another  table.  I  have 
two  boards  there  which  will  just  do  it.  Then 
we'll  think  out  a  way  to  get  the  rest  of  the 
stuff." 

Now  Nettie,  busy  with  her  fingers  in  the 
house  next  door,  had  not  left  the  others  to  do 
all  the  thinking.  She  knew  the  price  of  "  oil 
calico,"  and  imitation  cretonne,  and  unbleached 
muslin ;  she  knew  to  a  fraction  how  many  yards 
of  each  would  be  needed,  and  the  sum  total  ap- 
palled her.  Yet  she  too  knew  that  her  father 
earned  at  least  a  dollar  a  day,  and  did  not  give 
them  two  a  week  to  live  on.  This  her  mother 
had  told  her. 

Also  she  knew  that  on  this  Saturday  even- 
ing at  about  six  o'clock,  he  would  probably 


HOW    IT   SUCCEEDED.  119 

be  paid  for  his  week's  work.  Couldn't  she  con- 
trive to  coax  some  of  the  money  from  his  keep- 
ing into  hers  ?  She  had  hinted  the  possibility  of 
her  mother's  getting  hold  of  it,  and  Mrs.  Decker 
had  said  that  the  bare  thought  of  trying  made 
her  feel  faint  and  sick;  that  if  she  had  ever 
seen  her  father  in  a  passion  such  as  he  could  get 
into  when  things  did  not  go  just  to  suit  him, 
she  would  know  what  it  was  to  ask  him  for  any- 
thing. Nettie,  who  had  not  yet  been  at  home  a 
week,  had  some  faint  idea  of  what  her  father 
might  do  and  say  if  he  were  very  angry.  Never- 
theless, she  was  trying  to  plan  a  way  to  meet 
him  before  he  left  the  shop,  and  secure  some  of 
that  money  if  she  could. 

With  this  thought  in  view,  she  presently  laid 
aside  the  neat  little  petticoat  on  which  she  had 
been  sewing,  brushed  her  hair,  put  on  her  brown 
ribboned  hat,  and  her  brown  gloves,  watched 
her  chance  while  the  children  were  quarreling 
over  an  apple  that  Jerry  had  given  them,  and 
stole  out  in  the  direction  of  the  shop  where  her 
father  worked.  She  would  not  ask  Jerry  to  go 
with  her,  though  he  looked  after  her  from  the 
barn  window  and  wished  she  had  ;  if  her  father 
was  to  grow  angry  and  swear,  and  possibly 


120      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

strike,  no  one  should  know  it  but  herself,  if  she 
could  help  it. 

I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  of  one  thing  that 
she  did  before  starting.  She  went  into  her 
mother's  little  tucked-up  bedroom,  put  a  nail 
over  the  door,  which  she  had  herself  arranged 
for  a  fastening,  and  knelt  there  so  long  by  the 
barrel  which  did  duty  as  a  table,  that  her  mother, 
had  she  seen  her,  would  have  been  frightened. 
But  Nettie  felt  that  she  needed  courage  for  this 
undertaking ;  and  she  knew  where  to  get  it. 

Then  she  had  to  walk  pretty  fast ;  it  was 
later  than  she  thought,  for  just  as  she  turned  the 
corner  by  the  shop  where  her  father  worked,  the 
six  o'clock  bell  began  to  ring. 

"  Halloo !  "  said  one  of  the  men,  standing  in 
the  door  while  he  untied  his  leather  apron. 
"  What  party  is  this  coming  down  the  street  ? 
The  neatest  little  woman  I've  seen  for  many  a 
day.  A  stranger  in  this  part  of  the  world,  I 
reckon.  Doesn't  fit  in,  somehow.  Do  you  know 
who  it  is,  Decker  ?  " 

And  Mr.  Decker,  thus  appealed  to,  came  to 
the  door  in  time  to  receive  Nettie's  bow  and 
smile. 

"  That's  my  girl,"  he  said,  and  a  look  of  pride 


HOW   IT    SUCCEEDED.  121 

stole  into  his  face.  She  was  a  trim  little  crea- 
ture ;  it  was  rather  pleasant  to  own  her  as  his 
daughter. 

"  Your  girl !"  and  the  astonishment  which  the 
man  felt  was  expressed  by  a  slight  whistle.  "  I 
want  to  know  now  if  that  is  the  little  one  who 
went  away  six,  seven  years  ago,  was  it  ?  She's 
as  pretty  a  girl  as  I've  seen  in  a  year.  Looks 
smart,  too.  I  say,  Decker,  you  better  take  good 
care  of  her.  She  is  a  girl  to  be  proud  of." 

At  just  that  moment  Nettie  sprang  up  the 
steps. 

"May  I  come  in,  father?"  she  said;  UI 
wanted  to  see  where  you  worked."  Her  voice 
was  clear  and  sweet.  All  the  men  in  the  shop 
turned  to  look.  The  foreman  who  was  paying 
Mr.  Decker,  and  who  had  begun  severely  with 
the  sentence :  "  Two  half-days  off  again,  Decker ; 
that  sort  of  thing  won't "  —  stopped  short  at  the 
sound  of  Nettie's  voice,  and  gave  him  the  two  two 
dollar  bills,  and  two  ones,  without  further  words. 
Six  dollars  !  If  only  she  could  get  part  of  it ! 
How  should  the  delicate  matter  be  managed  ? 
Suddenly  Nettie  acted  on  the  thought  which 
came  to  her.  What  more  natural  than  for  a  child 
to  ask  for  money  just  then  and  there?  Sh«> 


122          LITTLE   FISHEES:    AND    THEIK   NETS. 

needed  it,  and  why  not  say  it?  Perhaps  he 
would  not  like  to  refuse  her  entirely  before  all 
the  men.  And  poor  Nettie  had  a  very  dis- 
agreeable fear  that  he  would  certainly  refuse  her 
if  she  waited  until  the  men  were  gone ;  even  if 
she  found  a  chance  to  ask  him  before  he  reached 
the  saloon  just  next  door,  where  he  spent  so 
much  of  his  money.  Or  at  least  where  his  wife 
thought  he  spent  it. 

"May  I  have  some  of  that,  father?  I  want 
some  money.  That  was  one  of  the  things  I 
came  after." 

This  was  certainly  the  truth.  Why  not  treat 
it  as  a  matter  of  course  ?  "  Why  should  I  take 
it  for  granted  that  he  is  going  to  waste  all  his 
money  ?  "  said  poor  Nettie  to  herself.  All  the 
same  she  knew  she  had  good  reason  for  supposing 
that  he  would. 

"Money!"  he  said,  as  he  seized  the  bills. 
"  What  do  you  know  about  money,  or  want  with 
it?" 

"  Oh,  I  want  things.  The  little  girls  must 
have  some  shoes.  I  promised  to  see  about  it  as 
soon  as  I  could.  And  then  I  want  to  buy  your 
Sunday  dinner  ;  a  real  nice  one." 

The  tone  was  a  winning,  coaxing  one.   Nettie 


HOW   IT   SUCCEEDED.  123 

did  not  know  how  to  coax ;  was  not  very  well 
acquainted  with  her  father ;  did  not  know  how 
he  would  endure  coaxing  of  any  sort,  but  some 
way  must  be  tried,  and  this  was  the  best  one 
she  knew  of. 

"  Divide  with  her,  Decker,"  said  the  man  who 
had  first  called  his  attention  to  Nettie.  "  She 
looks  as  though  she  could  buy  a  dinner,  and 
cook  it  too.  If  I  had  a  trim  little  girl  like  that 
to  look  out  for  my  comfort,  hang  me  if  I  wouldn't 
take  pleasure  in  keeping  her  well  supplied."  He 
sighed  as  he  spoke,  and  nobody  laughed  ;  for 
most  of  them  remembered  that  the  man's  home 
was  desolate.  Wife  and  daughter  both  buried 
only  a  few  months  before.  This  man  sometimes 
spent  his  earnings  on  beer,  but  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  say  that  there  was  nobody  left  to  care  ; 
and  that  while  he  had  them,  he  took  care  of 
them ;  which  was  true.  Nettie  looked  up  at  the 
man  with  a  curious  pitiful  interest.  His  tone 
was  very  sad.  She  was  grateful  to  him  for  his 
words.  Was  there  possibly  something  some- 
time that  she  could  do  for  him  ?  She  would  re- 
member his  face. 

All  the  men  were  looking  now,  and  there  was 
Nettie's  outstretched  hand.  Her  face  a  good 


124      LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

deal  flushed ;  but  it  wore  an  expectant  look. 
She  was  going  to  believe  in  her  father  as  long  as 
she  could. 

"  Go  ahead,  Joe,  divide  with  the  girl.  Such  a 
handsome  one  as  that.  You  ought  to  be  proud 
of  the  chance." 

"  You  have  something  worth  taking  care  of, 
it  seems,  Decker."  It  was  the  foreman  who 
said  this,  as  he  passed  on  his  way  to  the  other 
side  of  the  room  where  the  men  were  waiting. 

Whether  it  was  a  father's  pride,  or  a  father's 
shame,  or  both  these  motives  which  moved  Mr. 
Decker,  I  cannot  say,  but  he  actually  took  a  two 
and  a  one  and  placed  them  in  her  hands  as  he 
said  hastily,  "  There,  my  girl,  I've  given  you 
half ;  you  can't  complain  of  that." 


CHAPTER  VH. 

LONG   STOBIES   TO   TELL. 

IF  only  I  had  a  good  picture  of  Nettie,  so  that 
you  might  see  the  radiant  look  in  her  eyes 
just  then  ! 

She  had  hoped  for  the  money,  she  had  tried 
to  trust  her  father,  but  she  was,  nevertheless, 
wonderfully  surprised  when  her  hand  closed 
over  three  dollars. 

"  O  father  !  "  she  said,  "  how  nice."  And  then 
her  courage  rose.  "  Will  you  go  with  me,  father, 
to  buy  the  shoes  ?  The  little  girls  are  so  eager 
for  them.  I  promised  to  take  them  with  me  to 
Sunday-school  to-morrow,  if  I  could  get  shoes, 
but  I  don't  know  how  to  buy  them  very  well. 
Could  you  go?" 

The  shoe  shop  was  f-arther  down  the  street,  in 

an  opposite  direction  from  the  one  where  Mr. 

Decker  generally' got  his  liquor,  and  wily  Nettie 

remembered  that  there  was  a  street  leading  from 

125 


126      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

it  which  would  take  them  home  without  passing 
the  saloon.  Of  course  it  was  true  that  she  needed 
his  help  to  select  the  shoes,  but  it  was  also  true 
that  she  was  very  glad  she  did.  Mr.  Decker  was 
untying  his  apron,  and  rolling  down  his  sleeves ; 
he  felt  very  thirsty  —  the  sight  of  the  money 
seemed  to  make  him  thirsty.  He  had  meant  to  go 
directly  to  the  saloon,  give  them  one  dollar  on  the 
old  bill,  and  spend  what  he  needed,  only  a  very 
little,  on  beer.  With  the  rest  of  the  money  he 
honestly  meant  to  pay  his  rent.  Yet  no  one 
ought  to  have  understood  better  than  he  that  he 
would  not  be  likely  to  get  away  from  that  saloon 
with  a  cent  of  money  in  his  pocket.  For  all  that, 
he  wanted  to  go.  He  wished  Nettie  would  go 
away  and  let  him  alone.  But  the  men  were 
watching. 

"You  can't  fit  the  children  to  shoes  without 
having  them  along,"  he  said  gruffly. 

But  Nettie  was  ready  for  him  : "  Oh  ! "  she  said, 
swiftly  unrolling  a  newspaper,  "  I  brought  their 
feet  along."  And  with  a  bright  little  laugh  she 
plumped  down  two  badly  worn  shoes  on  the  work 
table. 

"  That  left>footed  one  is  Satie's.  The  other 
was  so  dreadfully  worn  out,  I  was  afraid  the 


LONG  STORIES  TO  TELL.         127 

shoemaker  couldn't  measure  it.  This  is  the  best 
one  of  Susie's." 

It  was  plain  to  any  reasonable  eyes  that  two 
pairs  of  shoes  were  badly  needed. 

"  I  guess  they  need  other  things  besides 
shoes." 

It  was  the  father  who  said  this,  and  they  were 
out  on  the  street,  and  he  was  actually  being 
drawn  by  Nettie's  eager  hand  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  the  saloon. 

"  O  no,"  she  said  ;  "  I  had  some  clothes  which 
I  had  outgrown ;  I  have  been  at  work  at  them 
all  day,  and  they  make  nice  little  suits.  Auntie 
Marshall  sent  them  each  a  cunning  little  white  sun- 
bonnet.  When  we  get  the  shoes,  they  will  look 
just  as  nice  as  can  be.  You  don't  know  how 
pleased  they  are  about  going  to  Sunday-school. 
I  arn  so  glad  they  will  not  be  disappointed  to- 
morrow." 

The  shoes  were  bought,  good,  strong-looking 
little  ones,  and  wonderfully  cheap,  perhaps  be- 
cause Nettie  did  the  bargaining,  and  the  man 
who  knew  how  scarce  her  money  must  be,  was 
eorry  for  the  little  woman.  It  did  seem  a  great 
deal  to  pay  out  — two  whole  dollars  —  for  shoes 
when  everything  was  needed.  It  was  warm 


128      LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

weather,  perhaps  she  ought  to  have  let  the  little 
girls  go  barefoot  for  awhile,  but  then  she  could 
not  take  them  to  Sunday-school  very  well;  at 
least,  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  couldn't ;  and 
father  was  willing  to  have  them  bought  now. 

o  o 

Who  could  tell  when  he  would  be  willing  again  ? 

He  stood  in  the  door  and  waited  for  her,  won- 
dering why  he  did  so,  why  he  could  not  leave 
her  and  go  back  to  that  saloon  and  get  his  drink. 
One  reason  was,  that  she  gave  him  no  chance. 
She  appealed  to  him  every  minute  for  advice. 

"  Father,  can  we  go  to  market  now  ?  I  want 
to  get  just  a  splendid  piece  of  meat  for  your 
Sunday  dinner.  I  know  just  how  to  cook  it  in 
a  way  that  you  will  like." 

"  I  guess  you  can  do  that  without  me  ;  I  have 
an  errand  in  another  direction."  They  were  on 
the  street  again.  She  caught  his  hand  eagerly. 
"O,  father,  do  please  come  with  me  to  the  mar- 
ket, there  are  so  many  men  there  I  don't  like  to 
go  alone ;  and  it  is  so  nice  to  take  a  walk  with 
you.  I  haven't  had  one  since  I  came.  "Won't 
you  please  come,  father  ?  " 

Joe  Decker  hardly  knew  what  to  think  of  him- 
self. There  was  something  in  her  soft  coaxing 
voice  which  seemed  to  take  him  back  a  dozen 


LONG  STOKIES  TO  TELL.         129 

years  into  the  past,  and  which  led  him  along  in 
spite  of  himself. 

The  meat  was  bought,  Nettie  looking  wise 
over  the  different  pieces,  and  insisting  on  a  neck 
piece,  which  the  boy  told  her  was  not  fit  to  eat. 

"  I  know  how  to  make  it  fit,"  she  said,  with  a 
little  nod  of  her  head. 

"  I  want  three  pounds  of  it.  And  then,  father, 
I  want  two  carrots  and  two  onions  ;  I'm  going  to 
make  something  nice." 

Only  sixty-eight  cents  of  her  precious  money 
left! 

"  I  did  need  some  butter,"  she  said  mourn- 
fully, "  and  that  in  the  tub  looks  nice,  but  I  guess 
I  can't  afford  it  this  time." 

"  How  much  is  butter  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Decker, 
suddenly  rising  to  the  needs  of  the  moment. 

"Twenty-five,"  said  the  grocer,  shortly.  He 
did  not  know  the  trim  little  woman  who  had  paid 
for  her  carrots  and  onions,  and  held  them  in  a 
paper  bag  at  this  moment,  but  he  did  know  Joe 
Decker  and  had  an  account  against  him.  He  had 
no  desire  to  sell  him  any  butter. 

"Then  give  me  two  pounds,  and  be  quick 
about  it."  And  Mr.  Decker  put  down  a  dollar 
bill  on  the  counter. 


130      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

The  man  seized  it  promptly  and  began  to  ar- 
range the  butter  in  a  neat  wooden  dish,  while  he 
said,  "  By  the  way,  Mr.  Decker,  when  will  it  be 
convenient  to  settle  that  little  account  ?  " 

"  I'll  do  it  as  soon  as  I  can,"  said  Mr.  Decker, 
speaking  low,  for  Nettie  turned  toward  him 
startled  ;  this  was  worse  than  she  thought.  She 
had  not  known  of  any  accounts.  Mr.  Decker 
himself  had  forgotten  it  until  he  stood  in  the 
very  door.  It  was  months  since  he  had  bought 
groceries. 

"  Is  it  muchy  father  ?  "  Nettie  asked,  and  he 
replied  pettishly : 

"  Much  ?  no.  It  is  only  a  miserable  little 
three,  dollars.  I  mean  to  pay  it ;  he  needn't  be 
scared."  Yet  why  he  shouldn't  be  "  scared," 
when  he  had  asked  for  those  three  dollars  per- 
haps fifty  times,  Mr.  Decker  did  not  say. 

"  Father,"  said  Nettie,  in  a  very  low  voice, 
"  couldn't  you  let  the  man  keep  the  fifty  cents, 
on  the  account,  and  that  would  be  a  beginning  ?" 

But  this  was  too  much. 

"  No,"  said  Mr.  Decker ;  "  I  will  pay  my  bills 
when  I  get  ready  and  not  before ;  and  it  is  none 
of  your  business  when  I  do  it.  You  must  not 
meddle  with  what  does  not  belong  to  you." 


LONG  STOKIES  TO  TELL.         131 

"  No,  sir ;  "  said  Nettie,  though  it  was  hard 
work  to  speak  just  then  ;  there  was  a  queer  little 
lump  in  her  throat.  She  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
being  spoken  to  in  this  way.  The  butter  was 
ready,  and  the  man  handed  back  the  change. 

Mr.  Decker  pocketed  it,  saying  as  he  did  so, 
"  I'll  have  some  money  for  you  next  week,  I 
guess."  And  then  they  went  away. 

"  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  girl  I'd  have  kept 
the  fifty  cents  and  got  so  much  out  of  the  old 
drunkard  ;  but  someway  I  couldn't  bring  myself 
to  doing  it  with  her  looking  on."  This  was 
what  the  grocer  muttered  as  they  walked  away. 

But  they  did  not  hear  him.  Nettie  was  bent 
now  on  tolling  her  father  down  the  cross  street 
to  go  home. 

"  Father,"  she  said,  "  we  are  going  to  have 
milk  toast  for  supper.  Mother  said  she  would 
have  it  ready,  and  toast  spoils,  you  know,  if  it 
stands  long.  Couldn't  we  go  home  this  way  and 
make  it  shorter?" 

He  was  a  good  deal  astonished  that  he  did  it. 
He  was  still  very  thirsty,  but  there  really  came 
to  him  no  decent  excuse  for  deserting  his  little 
girl  and  going  back  to  the  saloon.  And  they 
walked  into,  the  house  together,  so  astonishing 


132      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Mrs.  Decker  that  she  almost  dropped  the  teapot 
which  she  was  filling  with  hot  water.  What- 
ever other  night,  Mr.  Decker  contrived  to  get 
home  to  supper,  he  was  always  late  on  Saturday, 
and  in  a  worse  condition  than  at  any  other  time. 

That  was  really  a  nice  little  supper  time.  Mrs. 
Decker  had  done  her  part  well,  not  for  the  hus- 
band whom  she  did  not  expect,  but  in  gratitude 
to  the  little  girl  who  had  worked  so  hard  all  the 
week  for  herself  and  her  neglected  babies.  The 
toast  was  well  made,  and  the  tea  was  good. 
Besides,  there  was  a  treat ;  not  ten  minutes  be- 
fore, Mrs.  Job  Smith  had  sent  in  a  plate  of  gin- 
ger cookies ;  "  for  the  children,"  she  said,  and 
the  children  each  had  one.  So  did  the  father 
and  mother. 

Mr.  Decker  washed  his  hands  before  he  sat 
down  to  the  table,  for  the  tablecloth  had  been 
freshly  washed  and  ironed  that  day,  and  his 
wife  had  on  a  clean  calico  apron  and  a  strip  of 
white  cloth  about  her  neck,  and  her  hair  was 
smooth. 

.  "  There ! "  said  Nettie,  displaying  her  meat, 
"  now,  mother,  we  can  have  that  stew  for  to- 
morrow, just  as  we  planned.  Father  got  the 
meat,  and  the  carrots,  »nd  everything.  And 


LONG  STORIES  TO  TELL.         133 

what  do  you  think,  little  girlies,  father  bought 
you  each  a  pair  of  shoes  ! " 

Mrs.  Decker  set  down  the  teapot  again.  She 
was  just  in  the  act  of  giving  her  husband  a  cup 
of  tea,  and  the  color  came  and  went  on  her  face 
so  queerly  that  Nettie  for  a  moment  was  fright- 
ened. As  for  the  father,  he  felt  very  queer. 
Scared  and  silent  as  his  lit.tle  girls  generally  were 
in  his  presence,  they  could  not  keep  back  a  little 
squeal  of  delight  over  this  wonderful  piece  of 
news.  Altogether,  Mr.  Decker  could  not  help 
feeling  that  it  really  was  a  nice  thing  to  be  able 
to  buy  shoes  and  meat  for  his  family. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  give  us  your  tea  if  you're 
going  to  ;  I'm  as  dry  as  a  fish." 

And  the  tea  was  poured. 

The  toast  was  good,  and  there  was  plenty  of 
it,  and  someway  it  took  longer  to  eat  it  than  this 
family  usually  spent  at  the  supper-table  ;  and 
then,  after  supper,  the  shoes  had  to  be  tried  on, 
and  Nettie  called  the  little  girls  to  their  father 
to  see  if  the  shoes  fitted,  and  he  took  Sate  up  on 
his  lap  to  examine  them,  which  was  a  thing  that  ^ 
had  not  happened  to  Sate  in  so  long  that  Susie 
scowled  and  expected  that  she  would  be  fright- 
ened, but  Sate  seemed  to  like  it,  and  actually 


134     UTTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

stole  an  arm  around  her  father's  neck  and  patted 
his  cheek,  while  he  was  feeling  of  the  shoe. 
Then  Mrs.  Decker  had  a  happy  thought. 

She  winked  and  motioned  Nettie  into  the  bed- 
room and  whispered  :  "  Don't  you  believe  lie 
might  like  to  see  the  children  in  their  nice 
clothes  ?  I  ain't  seen  him  notice  them  so  much 
in  a  year ;  and  he  hasn't  been  drinking  a  mite, 
has  he  ?  " 

"  Not  a  drop,"  said  Nettie ;  « I'll  dress  Susie." 
And  she  flew  out  to  the  kitchen. 

"Father, just  you  wait  until  Susie  is  ready  to 
Bhow  you  something.  Come  here,  Susie,  quick." 
And  almost  in  less  time  than  it  takes  me  to  tell 
it,  Susie  was  whisked  into  the  pretty  petticoats 
and  dress  which  had  been  shortened  and  tight- 
ened for  her  that  day.  The  dress  was  a  plain, 
not  over-fine  white  one  ;  but  it  was  beautifully 
ironed,  and  the  white  sunbonnet  perched  on  the 
trim  head  completed  the  picture  and  made  a 
pretty  creature  of  Susie.  I  am  sure  I  don't 
wonder  that  the  child  felt  a  trifle  vain  as  she 
squeaked  out  in  her  new  shoes  to  show  herself 
to  her  father.  She  had  not  been  neatly  dressed 
long  enough  to  consider  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 

"  Upon   my  word ! "   said  Mr.  Decker,  and 


LONG  STOEIE8  TO  TELL.         135 

there  he  stopped.  This  was  certainly  a  wonder- 
ful change.  He  looked  at  his  little  daughter 
from  head  to  foot,  and  could  hardly  believe  his 
eyes.  What  a  pretty  child  she  was.  And  to 
think  that  she  was  his  !  Certainly  she  ought  to 
have  new  shoes,  and  new  clothes.  Sate's  arm 
was  still  about  his  neck,,  and  Sate's  sweet  full 
lips  were  suddenly  touched  to  his  rough  cheek. 

"  I've  got  new  clothes  too,"  she  said  sweetly, 
"  only  I  doesn't  want  to  get  down  from  here  to 
put  them  on." 

The  father  turned  at  that  and  kissed  her.  Then 
he  set  her  down  hastily  and  got  up.  Something 
made  his  eyes  dim.  He  really  did  not  know  what 
was  the  matter  with  him,  only  it  all  seemed  to 
come  to  him  suddenly  that  he  had  some  very 
nice  children,  and  that  they  ought  to  have 
clothes  and  food  and  chances  like  others,  and 
that  it  was  his  own  fault  they  hadn't. 

Nettie  hated  tobacco,  but  she  went  herself  in 
haste  and  lighted  her  father's  pipe  and  brought 
it  to  him  ;  if  he  must  smoke,  it  would  be  so  much 
better  to  have  him  sit  in  the  door  and  do  it 
rather  than  to  go  off  down  to  that  saloon.  She 
hated  the  saloon  worse  than  the  tobacco.  As 
she  brought  the  pipe,  she  said  within  her  hope- 


136    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

ful  little  heart :  "  Maybe  sometime  he  won't, 
want  either  to  drink  or  smoke.  I  most  know  we 
can  coax  him  to  give  them  both  up ;  and  then 
won't  that  be  nice  ?  " 

One  thing  was  troubling  her ;  as  soon  as  she 
could,  she  followed  her  mother  into  the  yard  and 
questioned,  "  Do  you  know  where  Norm  is  ?  " 

Yes,  Mrs.  Decker  knew.  He  came  home  just 
after  Nettie  had  gone  out,  and  said  he  had  an 
hour's  holiday ;  their  room  had  closed  early  for 
Saturday,  and  he  was  going  to  wash  up  and  go 
down  street  before  supper. 

"  My  heart  was  in  my  mouth,"  said  the  poor 
mother;  "because  when  there  is  a  holiday  he 
gets  into  worse  scrapes  than  he  does  any  other 
time  ;  he  goes  with  a  set  that  don't  do  anything 
but  have  holidays,  and  they  "always"  have  some 
mischief  hatched  up  to  get  Norm  into.  I  never 
see  the  like  of  the  boys  in  this  town  for  getting 
others  into  scrapes ;  but  I  didn't  dare  to  say  a 
word,  because  Norm  thinks  he  is  getting  too  big 
for  me  to  give  him  any  words,  and  just  as  he  was 
going  out,  that  boy  next  door —  Jerry,  you  said 
his  name  was,  didn't  you?  —  he  came  out  and 
called  Norm,  real  friendly,  and  they  stood  talk- 
ing together ;  he  appeared  to  be  arguing  some- 


LONG    STORIES    TO    TELL.  137 

thing,  and  Norm  holding  off,  and  at  last  Norm 
came  in  and  wanted  the  tin  pail  and  said  he  had 
changed  his  mind  and  was  going  fishing ;  and 
they  went  off  together,  them  two."  And  Mrs. 
Decker  finished  the  sentence  with  a  rare  smile. 
She  was  grateful  to  Jerry  for  carrying  off  her 
boy,  and  grateful  to  Nettie  for  thinking  about 
him  and  being  anxious. 

"  Good ! "  said  Nettie  with  a  happy  little 
laugh,  "  then  we  will  have  some  fried  fish  to- 
morrow for  breakfast.  What  a  nice  day  to- 
morrow is  going  to  be." 

Mr.  Decker  was  a  good  deal  surprised  at  him- 
self, but  he  did  not  go  down  town  again  that 
night.  After  he  had  smoked,  he  felt  thirsty,  it 
is  true,  and  at  that  very  minute  Nettie  came  in 
with  the  one  glass  whi'ch  they  had  in  the  house, 
and  it  was  full  of  lemonade. 

"Did  he  want  a  nice  cool  drink?"  she  had 
two  lemons  which  she  bought  with  her  own 
money,  and  she  knew  how  to  make  good  lemon- 
ade, Auntie  Marshall  used  to  say. 

The  father  drank  the  cool  liquid  off  almost  at 
a  swallow,  said  it  was  good,  and  that  he  guessed 
she  knew  how  to  do  most  things.  By  this  time 
the  little  girls  had  been  tucked  away  to  bed, 


138      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

and  just  as  Mr.  Decker  rose  up  to  say  he  guessed 
he  would  go  down  street  awhile,  Norm  appeared 
with  a  string  of  fish.  They  were  beauties  ;  he 
declared  that  he  never  had  such  luck  in  his  life  ; 
that  fellow  just  bewitched  the  fish,  he  believed, 
so  they  would  rather  be  caught  than  not.  Then 
came  a  talk  about  dressing  them.  Norm  said 
he  was  sure  he  did  not  know  how ;  and  Mr. 
Decker  said,  a  great  fellow  like  him  ought  to 
know  how.  When  he  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  he 
used  to  catch  fish  for  his  mother  almost  every 
day  of  his  life,  and  dress  them  too  ;  his  mother 
never  had  to  touch  them  until  they  were  ready  to 
cook.  Then  Nettie,  flushed  and  eager,  said  : 

"  O  father,  then  you  can  show  me  how  to  do 
it,  can't  you?  I  would  like  to  learn  just  the 
right  way."  And  the  father  laughed,  and  looked 
at  his  wife  with  something  like  the  old  look  on 
his  face,  and  said  he  seemed  to  be  fairly  caught. 
And  together  they  went  to  the  box  outside,  and 
in  the  soft  summer  night,  with  the  moon  looking 
down  on  them,  Nettie  took  her  lesson  in  fish 
dressing. 

When  the  work  was  all  done,  Norm  having 
hovered  around  through  it  all,  and  watched,  and 
helped  a  little, .  Mr..  Decker  .went  .back  to  the 


LONG   STOBTES   TO   TELL.  139 

kitchen  and  yawned,  and  wondered  how  late  it 
was.  No  clock  in  this  house  to  give  any  idea  of 
time.  There  used  to  be,  but  one  day  it  got  out 
of  order  and  Mr.  Decker  carried  it  down  street  to 
be  fixed,  and  never  brought  it  back.  Mrs.  Decker 
asked  about  it  a  good  many  times,  then  went 
herself  in  searcli  of  it,  and  found  it  in  the  saloon 
at  the  corner. 

"  He  took  it  for  debt,"  the  owner  told  her, 
and  a  poor  bargain  it  was  ;  it  never  came  to  time, 
any  better  than  her  husband  did.  However, 
just  as  Mr.  Decker  made  his  wonderment,  the 
old  clock  over  at  Mrs.  Smith's  rose  up  to  its 
duty,  and  dignifiedly  struck  nine. 

"  Well,  I  declare,"  said  Mr.  Decker,  "  I  did 
not  think  it  was  as  late  as  that.  There  ain't  any 
evenings  now  days.  Well,  I  guess,  after  all,  I'll 
go  to  bed.  I'm  most  uncommon  tired  to-night 
somehow." 

Norm  had  already  gone  up  to  his  room  ;  and 
Mrs.  Decker  when  she  heard  her  husband's 
words,  hurried  into  the  bedroom  to  hide  two 
happy  tears. 

"  I  declare  for  it,  I  believe  you  have  bewitched 
him,"  she  said  to  Nettie,  who  followed  her  to 
ask  about  the  breakfast ;  "  I  ain't  known  him  to 


140      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

do  such  a  thing  not  in  two  years,  as  to  go  to  bed 
at  nine  o'clock  without  ever  going  down  street 
again.  He  don't  act  like  himself ;  not  a  rnite. 
I  was  most  scared  when  I  saw  him  take  Sate  in 
his  arms;  that  child  don't  remember  his  doing  it 
before,  I  don't  believe.  Did  he  really  buy  the 
things,  child,  and  pay  for  them  ?  Well,  now,  it 
does  beat  all !  And  Saturday  night,  too  ;  that 
has  always  been  his  worst  night.  Child,  if  you 
get  hold  of  your  father,  and  of  my  Norm,  there 
ain't  anything  in  this  world  too  good  for  you. 
I'd  work  my  fingers  to  the  bone  any  time  to  help 
along,  and  be  glad  to." 

It  was  all  very  sweet.  Nettie  ran  away  be- 
fore the  sentence  was  fairly  finished,  waiting 
only  to  say,  "  Good-night,  mother  1 "  She  had 
done  this  every  night  since  she  came,  but  to- 
night she  reached  up  and  touched  her  lips  to  the 
tall  woman's  thin  cheek.  Poor  Nettie  had  been 
used  to  kissing  somebody  every  night  when  she 
went  to  bed.  It  had  made  her  homesick  not  to 
do  it.  But  she  had  not  wanted  to  kiss  anybody  in 
this  house,  except  the  little  girls.  To-night,  she 
wanted  to  kiss  this  mother.  She  reached  the 
back  door,  then  stopped  and  looked  back ;  her 
father  sat  in  his  shirt  sleeves,  in  the  act  of  pul- 


LONG  STORIES  TO  TELL.        141 

ling  off  one  boot.  Should  she  tell  him  good- 
night ?  He  had  not  been  there  for  her  to  do  it 
a  single  evening  since  she  came  home.  Should 

o  o 

she  kiss  him  ?  Why  not  ?  Wasn't  he  her  father  ? 
Yet  he  might  not  like  it.  She  could  not  be  sure. 
He  was  not  like  the  fathers  she  had  known.  How- 
ever, she  came  back  on  tiptoe  and  stooped  over 
him,  her  voice  low  and  sweet : 

"  Good-night,  father  !  I  am  going  now."  And 
then  she  put  a  kiss  on  the  rough  cheek,  just 
where  little  Sate  had  left  her  velvet  touch. 

Mr.  Decker  started  almost  as  though  some- 
body had  struck  him.  But  it  was  not  anger 
which  filled  his  face. 

"  Good-night,  my  girl,"  he  said,  but  his  voice 
was  husky ;  and  Nettie  ran  as  fast  as  she  could 
across  the  yard  to  the  next  house. 

"  I  did  not  get  the  things,"  she  said  to  Jerry, 
who  stood  in  the  doorway  waiting  for  her  ;  "  I 
couldn't ;  but,  Jerry,  I  had  such  a  wonderful 
time  !  Father  gave  me  money,  and  we  went  to 
market,  and  bought  shoes  and  he  bought  butter  ; 
and  since  we  came  home  almost  everything  has 
happened.  I  can't  begin  to  tell  you.  I  can  get 
some  of  the  things  on  Monday.  Father  gave 
me  money." 


142      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND   THEIB   NETS. 

"  All  right,"  said  Jerry ;  "  I  didn't  get  the 
skeletons  ready,  either ;  I  meant  to  work  after 
tea,  but  instead  of  that  I  went  fishing."  And  he 
gave  her  a  bright  smile. 

"  Oh !  I  know  it,"  said  Nettie,  breathless 
almost  with  eagerness.  "  That  is  part  of  my  nice 
time.  Jerry,  I  am  so  glad  you  went  fishing  to- 
night, and  I  am  so  glad  you  caught  your  fish ; 
not  the  ones  which  we  are  to  eat  for  our  Sunday 
breakfast,  you  know,  but  the  other  one.  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 

And  Jerry  laughed.  "  I  understand,"  he  said, 
"  I  had  a  nice  time,  too.  We  shall  have  some 
long  stories  to  tell  each  other,  I  guess.  We 
must  go  in  now." 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

A    SABBATH    TO    REMEMBER. 

UNDAY  was  a  successful  day  at  the  Deck- 
ei*s.  The  sun  shone  brilliantly;  a  trifle  too 
warm,  you  might  have  thought  it,  for  comfort ; 
but  the  little  Deckers  did  not  notice  it.  The 
fish  was  beautifully  browned  and  the  coffee  was 
delicious.  Mr.  Decker  had  a  clean  shirt  which 
his  wife  had  contrived  to  wash  and  rnend,  the 
day  before,  and  all  things  were  harmonious. 
Some  time  before  nine  o'clock.  Sate  and  Susie 
were  arrayed  in  their  new  white  suits,  and  with 
their  trim  new  shoes,  and  hair  beautifully  neat, 
they  were  as  pretty  little  girls  as  one  need  want 
to  see.  Nettie  surveyed  them  with  unqualified 
satisfaction,  and  then  seated  them,  each  with  a 
picture  primer,  while  she  made  her  own  toilet. 
She  put  on  the  dress  which  had  been  her  best 
for  Sunday,  all  summer.  It  was  a  gingham,  a 
trifle  finer  and  a  good  deal  lighter  than  the  brown 
143 


144       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

one  in  which  she  had  travelled.  It  was  neatly 
made,  and  fitted  her  well ;  and  the  brown  hat 
and  ribbons  looked  well  with  it. 

On  the  whole,  when  they  set  off  for  Sabbath- 
school,  Jerry  accompanying  them,  arrayed  in  a 
fresh  brown  linen  suit,  Mrs.  Decker  watching 
them  from  the  side  window,  admitted  that  she 
never  saw  a  nicer-looking  set  in  her  life  !  She 
even  had  the  courage  to  call  Mr.  Decker  to  see 
how  nice  the  two  little  girls  looked,  and  he  came 
and  watched  them  out  of  sight.  And  when  he 
said  that  his  Nan  was  about  as  nice  a  looking 
girl  as  he  wanted  to  see,  she  answered  heartily 
that  Nannie  was  the  very  best  girl  she  ever  saw 
in  her  life. 

Fairly  in  the  Sabbath-school,  a  fit  of  extreme 
shyness  came  over  the  two  little  Deckers.  With 
Susie,  as  usual,  it  took  the  form  of  fierceness ; 
she  planted  her  two  stout  feet  in  the  doorway 
and  resolutely  shook  her  head  to  all  coaxings  to 
go  any  farther;  keeping  firm  hold  of  Sate's 
hand,  and  giving  her  arm  a  jerk  now  and  then, 
to  indicate  to  her  that  she  was  not  to  stir  from 
her  protector's  side.  The  situation  was  becom- 
ing embarrassing.  Nettie  could  not  leave  them, 
and  Jerry  would  not ;  though  some  of  the  boys 


A    SABBATH    TO   REMEMBER.  145 

were  giggling,  those  of  his  class  were  motioning 
him  to  leave  the  group  and  join  them.  The  su- 
perintendent came  forward  and  cordially  invited 
the  children  in,  but  Susie  scowled  at  him  and 
shook  her  head.  Then  Jerry  went  around  to 
Sate's  side  and  held  out  his  hand.  "  Sate,"  he 
said  in  a  winning  tone,  "come  with  me  over 
where  all  those  pretty  little  girls  sit,  and  I  will 
get  you  a  picture  paper  with  a  bird  on  it." 

To  Susie's  utter  dismay,  Sate  who  had  meekly 
obeyed  her  slightest  whim  during  all  her  little 
life,  suddenly  dropped  the  hand  that  held  hers, 
and  gave  the  other  to  Jerry,  with  a  firm  :  "  I'm 
going  in,  Susie ;  we  came  to  go  in,  and  Nettie 
wants  us  to."  Poor,  astonished,  deserted  Susie ! 

She  had  been  so  sure  of  Sate  that  she  had  neg- 
lected to  keep  firm  hold,  and  now  she  had  slid 
away.  There  was  nothing  left  for  Susie  but  to 
follow  her  with  what  grace  she  could. 

They  were  seated  at  last.  Seven  little  girls 
of  nearly  Nettie's  size  and  age.  As  she  took  a 
seat  among  them,  I  wish  I  could  give  you  an 
idea  of  how  she  felt.  Up  to  this  hour,  it  had 
not  occurred  to  her  that  she  was  not  as  well 
dressed  as  others  of  her  age.  Not  quite  that, 
either  ;  being  a  wise  little  woman  of  business,  she 


146      LITTLE    FISHERS!     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

was  well  aware  that  her  clothes  were  plain,  and 
cheap,  and  that  some  girls  wore  clothes  which 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money.  But  I  mean  that 
this  was  the  first  time  she  had  taken  in  the 
thought  of  the  difference,  so  that  it  gave  her  a 
sting.  The  Sabbath-school  which  she  had  been 
attending,  was  a  mission,  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  city ;  the  scholars,  nearly  all  of  them,  com- 
ing from  homes  where  there  was  not  much  to 
spare  on  dress;  and  the  girls  of  her  class  had 
all  of  them  dressed  like  herself,  neatly  and 
plainly.  It  was  very  different  with  these  seven 
girls.  She  felt  at  once,  as  she  seated  herself,  as 
though  she  had  come  into  the  midst  of  a  flower 
garden  where  choice  blossoms  were  glowing  on 
every  side,  and  she  might  be  a  poor  little  weed. 
Summer  silk  dresses,  broad-brimmed  hats  aglow 
with  flowers,  kid  gloves,  dainty  lace-trimmed 
parasols  —  what  a  beautiful  world  it  was  into 
which  this  poor  little  weed  had  moved  ? 

Nettie  knew  that  her  hat  was  coarse,  and  the 
ribbon  narrow  and  cheap,  and  her  gloves  cotton, 
but  these  things  had  never  troubled  her  before. 
Why  should  they  now  ? 

The  truth  is,  it  was  not  the  pretty  things,  but 
the  curious  glances  that  their  owners  gave  at  the 


A    SABBATH    TO   EEMEMBEB.  147 

small  brown  thrush  which  had  come  in  among 
them.  They  seemed  to  poo;-  Nettie  to  be  mak- 
ing a  memoranda  of  everything  she  had  on, 
from  the  narrow  blue  ribbon  on  her  hair  to  the 
strong  neat  boots  in  which  her  plump  feet  were 
encased.  The  look  in  their  eyes  said,  "  How 
queerly  she  is  dressed  ! "  It  was  impossible  to 
get  away  from  the  thought  of  their  thoughts, 
and  from  the  fact  that  the  girl  next  to  her  drew 
her  blue  silk  dress  closer  about  her,  and  placed 
her  pink-lined  parasol  on  the  other  side,  even 
though  the  pretty  lady  who  sat  before  them  in 
the  teacher's  seat,  welcomed  her  kindly,  and 
hoped  she  would  be  happy  among  them.  Nettie 
hoped  so,  too ;  but  she  could  hardly  believe  that 
it  could  be  possible. 

She  looked  over  at  Jerry.  He  seemed  to  be 
having  a  good  time ;  there  was  not  so  much  dif- 
ference in  boys'  clothes  as  in  girls.  She  did  not 
see  but  he  looked  as  well  as  any  of  them.  She 
looked  forward  at  the  little  girls.  Susie  had 
allowed  herself  to  be  led  in  search  of  Sate,  and 
the  two  were  at  this  moment  side  by  side  in  a 
seat  full  of  bobbing  heads ;  they  had  taken  off 
their  sunbonnets,  and  their  pretty  heads  bobbed 
about  with  the  rest,  and  the  white  dresses  of  the 


148      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

two  looked  as  well  at  a  distance  as  the  others, 
though  Nettie  could  see  that  there  were  ruffles, 
and  tucks,  and  embroidery  and  lace.  But  some 
were  plain ;  and  none  of  the  wee  ones  seemed  to 
notice  or  to  care.  It  was  only  Nettie  who  had 
gotten  among  those  who  made  her  care,  by  the 
glance  of  their  eyes,  and  the  rustle  of  their 
finery.  She  tried  to  get  away  from  it  all ;  tried 
hard.  She  listened  to  the  words  read,  and 
joined  as  .well  as  she  could,  in  the  hymn  sung, 
and  answei-ed  quietly  and  correctly,  the  ques- 
tions put  to  her;  but  all  the  while  there  was  a 
queer  lump  in  her  throat,  which  kept  her  swal- 
lowing, and  swallowing,  and  a  wish  in  her  heart 
that  she  could  go  back  to  Auntie  Marshall's. 

When  the  service  was  over,  she  stood  waiting, 
feeling  shy  and  alone.  Jerry  was  talking  with 
the  boys  in  his  class,  and  the  little  girls  were 
being  kissed  by  their  pretty  teacher.  Her  class- 
mates stood  and  looked  at  her.  At  last  the 
teacher  who  had  been  talking  with  one  of  the 
secretaries  turned  to  her  with  a  pleasant  voice : 

"Well,  Nettie,  we  are  glad  to  have  you  with 
us.  Can  you  come  every  Sabbath,  do  you  think? 
Are  you  acquainted  with  these  girls?  No? 
Then  you  must  be  introduced.  This  is  Irene 


LOIJKNA    BAB8TOW. 


A    SABBATH    TO    REMEMBER.  149 

Lewis,  and  this  is  Cecelia  Lester,"  and  in  this 
\\iiy  she  named  the  seven  girls,  each  one  making 
iu  turn  what  seemed  to  poor  Nettie  the  stiffest 
little  bow  she  had  ever  seen.  At  last,  Irene 
Lewis,  who  stood  next  to  her,  and  wore  an  ele- 
gant fawn-colored  silk  dress  trimmed  with  lace, 
tried  to  think  of  something  to  say. 

"You  haven't  begun  school  yet,  have  you  ? 
I  haven't  seen  anything  of  you.  What  grade 
are  you  in  ?  " 

Nettie  explained  that  she  had  not  been  in  a 
regular  school;  that  she  went  afternoons  to  a 
private  school  which  had  no  grades,  and  that 
now  she  did  not  expect  to  go  at  all ;  because 
mother  could  not  spare  her. 

"A  private  school!"  said  Miss  Irene,  "and 
held  only  in  the  afternoon !  What  a  queer 
idea  !  I  should  think  morning  was  the  time  to 
study.  What  was  it  for?" 

Then  it  became  necessary  to  further  explain 
that  the  girls  who  attended  this  afternoon  school, 
had  all  of  them  work  to  do  in  the  mornings,  and 
could  not  be  spared. 

"  I  have  heard  of  them,"  said  Lorena  Bar- 
stow.  "They  are  sort  of  charity  schools,  are 
they  not?" 


150    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIE  NETS. 

Lorcna  was  dressed  in  white,  and  looked  al- 
most weighed  down  with  rich  embroidery;  but 
she  had  a  disagreeable  smile  on  her  face,  and  a 
look  in  her  eyes  that  made  Nettie's  face  crim- 
son. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  said,  quietly,  "I  never 
heard  it  called  by  that  name.  My  auntie  thought 
very  well  of  it,  and  was  glad  to  have  me  go." 
Then  she  turned  away,  and  hoped  that  none  of 
the  girls  would  ask  her  any  more  questions,  or 
try  to  be  friendly  with  her.  Just  now,  she 
could  be  glad  of  only  one  thing,  and  that  was, 
that  she  need  not  go  to  school  with  these  dis- 
agreeable people.  She  stepped  quite  out  of 
sight  behind  the  screen  which  shielded  the  next 
class,  and  waited  impatiently  for  the  little  girls. 
They  seemed  to  be  having  a  very  nice  time,  and 
were  in  no  haste  to  come  to  her.  Standing 
there,  waiting,  she  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
herself  talked  about. 

"  Isn't  she  a  queer  little  object?"  said  Lorena 
Barstow.  And  when  one  of  the  others  was  kind 
enough  to  say  that  she  did  not  see  anything  very 
queer  about  her,  Lorena  proceeded  to  explain. 

"  You  don't !  "Well,  I  should  think  yon  might. 
Did  you  ever  see  a  girl  in  our  class  before,  with 


A    SABBATH    TO   EEME1I11ER.  151 

a  gingham  dress  on?  Of  course  she  wore  her 
very  best  for  the  first  Sunday;  and  her  hat  i8 
of  very  coarse  straw,  just  the  commonest  kind, 
and  last  year's  shape  at  that ;  then  look  at  her 
cotton  gloves  !  I'm  sure  I  think  she  is  as  funny 
a  little  object  as  ever  came  into  this  room." 

"What  of  it?  I  am  sure  she  looks  neat  and 
clean,  and  she  spoke  very  prettily,  and  knew  her 
lesson  better  than  any  of  us." 

"  I  didn't  say  she  didn't.  I  was  only  talking 
about  her  clothes." 

"Clothes  are  not  of  much  consequence." 

"O  Miss  Ermina!  When  you  dress  better 
than  any  of  us.  Why  don't  you  wear  gingham 
dresses,  and  cheap  ribbons,  and  cotton  gloves,  if 
you  think  they  look  as  well  as  nice  ones?" 

"  I  did  not  say  that ;  I  wear  the  clothes  my 
mother  gets  for  me;  but  I  truly   don't   think, 
they   are    the    most   important   things   in   the 
world." 

"Neither  do  I.  You  needn't  take  a  person 
up  in  that  way,  as  though  you  were  better  than 
anybody  else.  I  am  sure  I  am  willing  she  should 
wear  what  she  likes." 

Then  Cecelia  Lester  took  up  the  conversation: 

"She  could   not  be  expected  to  dress  very 


152      LITTLE    FISHERS  I    AND    THEIE   NETS. 

well,  of  course.  Don't  you  know  she  is  old 
Joe  Decker's  daughter?" 

"  Who  is  Joe  Decker  ?  I  never  heard  of 
him." 

"  Well,  he  is  just  a  drunkard ;  they  live  over 
on  Hamlin  street.  Mrs.  Decker  washes  for  my 
auntie  once  in  awhile,  when  they  have  extra 
company,  and  I  have  seen  her  there,  with  both 
the  little  girls.  I  heard  that  Joe's  daughter 
who  has  been  living  out,  for  years,  was  coming 
home." 

"  Living  out !  that  little  thing !  No  wonder 
she  hasn't  better  clothes.  She  has  a  pretty  face, 
I  think.  But  it  seems  sort  of  queer  to  have  her 
come  into  our  class,  doesn't  it?  We  sha'n't  know 
what  to  do  with  her !  She  can't  go  in  our  set, 
of  course." 

"  O,  I  don't  know.  Perhaps  Ermina  Farley 
will  invite  her  to  her  party."  At  this  point,  all 
the  others  laughed,  as  though  a  funny  thing  had 
been  said,  but  Ermiiia  spoke  quietly :  "  So  far 
as  her  gingham  dress  is  concerned,  I  am  sure  I 
would  just  as  soon.  I  don't  choose  my  friends 
on  account  of  the  clothes  they  wear;  and  I  sup- 
pose the  poor  thing  cannot  help  her  father  being 
a  drunkard  ;  but  then,  I  shouldn't  like  to  invite 


A    SABBATH    TO   REMEMBER.  153 

her,  for  fear  you  girls  would  not  treat  her  well." 

Xettie  could  see  the  toss  of  Lorena  Barstow's 
yellow  curls  as  she  answered :  "Well,  I  must  say 
I  like  to  be  cai'eful  with  whom  I  associate ;  and 
mother  likes  toliave  me  careful.  I  am  sorry  for 
the  girl ;  but  I  don't  know  that  I  need  make  her 
my  most  intimate  friend  on  that  account.  Say, 
girls,  did  you  ever  notice  what  fine  eyes  that 
boy  has  who  came  in  with  her  ?  Some  think  he 
is  a  real  handsome  fellow." 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  particular  friend  of  this 
girl ;  I  saw  them  on  the  street  together  yester- 
day, and  they  were  talking  and  laughing,  as 
though  they  enjoyed  each  other  ever  so  much. 
Who  is  that  boy?" 

Lorena  seemed  to  be  prepared  to  answer  all 
questions. 

"  He  isn't  much,"  she  said,  with  another  toss 
of  her  yellow  curls.  "  His  name  is  Jerry  Mack  ; 
a  regular  Irish  name,  and  he  is  Irish  in  face ;  I 
think  he  is  coarse-looking ;  dreadful  red  cheeks ! 
'The  girls  over  on  the  West  Side  say  he  is  smart, 
and  handsome,  and  all  that.  I  don't  see  where 
they  find  it." 

"O,  he  is  smart,"  said  Cecelia  Lester.  "  My 
brother  knows  him,  and  he  says  there  isn't  a 


154      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

more  intelligent  boy  in  town.  I  used  to  think 
he  was  splendid ;  I  have  talked  with  him  some, 
and  he  is  real  pleasant;  but  I  must  say  I  don't 
understand  why  he  goes  with  that  Decker  girl 
all  the  time." 

"I  don't  see  why  he  shouldn't,"  declared 
Lorena.  "For  my  part,  I  think  they  are  well 
matched ;  he  works  for  his  board  at  Job  Smith's 
the  carman's,  and  she  is  a  drunkard's  daughter ; 
they  ought  to  be  able  to  have  nice  times  to- 
gether." 

"  Does  he  work  for  his  board  ?  "  chimed  in 
two  or  three  voices  at  once. 

"  Why,  I  suppose  so,  or  gets  it  without  work- 
ing for  it.  He  lives  there,  anyway.  They  say  his 
father  has  deserted  him,  run  away  to  California, 
or  somewhere  ;  Jerry  will  have  to  learn  the  car- 
man's trade,  and  support  himself,  and  Nettie, 
too,  maybe."  Whereupon  there  was  a  chorus 
of  giggles.  Something  about  this  seemed  to  be 
thought  funny. 

Ermina  seemed  to  have  left  the  group,  so 
they  took  her  up  next.  "  Ermina  Farley  meant 
to  invite  him  to  her  party,  but  I  hardly  think 
she  will,  when  she  finds  out  how  all  we  girls 
feel  about  it.  She  tries  to  do  things  different 


A    SABBATH    TO   REMEMBER.  155 

from  everybody  else,  though  ;  so  perhaps  that 
will  be  the  very  reason  why  she  will  ask  them 
both.  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  girls,  we  must 
stand  up  for  our  rights,  and  not  let  her  have 
everything  her  own  way.  Let's  say  squarely 
that  we  will  not  go  to  her  party  if  she  invites 
out  of  our  set.  I  could  endure  the  boy  if  I  had 
to,  because  he  is  very  polite,  and  merry ;  and  so 
few  of  the  boys  around  here  know  how  to  be- 
have themselves;  but  if  he  has  chosen  that 
Decker  girl  for  his  friend,  we  must  just  let  them 
both  alone.  This  class  isn't  the  place  for  that 
girl;  I  wonder  who  invited  her  in?  I  think  it 
was  real  mean  in  Miss  Wheeler  to  ask  her  to 
come  again,  without  knowing  how  we  felt  about 
it." 

All  this  time  was  poor  Nettie  behind  that 
screen.  Not  daring  to  stir,  because  there  was  no 
place  for  her  to  go.  The  little  girls  were  still  en- 
gaged with  their  teacher,  who  had  Sate  on  her 
lap,  and  Susie  by  her  side,  and  was  showing 
them  some  picture  cards,  and  apparently  telling 
them  a  story  about  the  pictures.  Jerry  had  sat 
down  beside  a  boy  who  was  copying  something 
which  Jerry  seejned  to  be  reading  to  him,  and 
various  groups  stood  about,  chatting.  They 


156      LITTLE    PISHEES  :     AND    THE1E    NETS. 

were  waiting  for  the  bell  to  toll  before  they  went 
into  church.  Nettie  could  not  go  without  the 
little  girls,  and  she  could  not  stir  without  being 
brought  into  full  view.  And  just  then  she  felt 
as  though  it  would  not  be  possible  for  her  to 
meet  the  eyes  of  anybody.  If  only  she  could 
run  away  and  hide,  where  she  need  never  see 
any  of  those  dreadful  girls  again !  or,  for  that 
matter,  see  anybody.  It  was  true,  she  was 'a 
drunkard's  daughter,  and  would  go  down  lower 
and  lower,  until  her  neat  dress  would  be  in  rags, 
and  her  hat,  coarse  as  it  was,  would  grow  frayed, 
and  be  many  years  behind  the  fashion.  What 
a  cruel,  wicked  world  it  was  !  Who  could  have 
imagined  that  those  pretty,  beautifully  dressed 
girls  could  have  such  cruel  tongues,  and  say  such 
hateful  words!  Didn't  they  know  she  was 
within  hearing?  Couldn't  they  have  waited 
until  she  got  out  of  the  way,  so  that  she  need 
not  have  known  how  dreadful  they  were  ? 

So  far  as  that  was  concerned,  they  did  not 
know  it.  To  do  them  justice,  I  think  none  of 
them  would  have  wounded  her  so,  quite  to  her 
face.  They  might  have  been  cold,  but  they 
would  not  have  been  cruel  in  her  presence.  They 
thought  she  went  out  of  the  room,  instead  of  be- 


A    SABBATH    TO    REMEMBER.  157 

hind  the  screen.  The  bell  tolled,  at  last,  and 
Jerry  finished  his  reading,  and  came  over  to  her, 
his  face  bright.  The  girls  in  their  beautiful 
plumage  fluttered  away  like  gay  birds,  the 
teacher  of  the  little  girls  came  toward  her  hold- 
ing a  hand  of  each,  and  saying  brightly  :  "Are 
these  your  little  sisters  ?  What  dear  little  treas- 
ures they  are!  We  have  had  such  a  pleasant 
time  together.  I  hope  you  have  enjoyed  your 
first  day  at  Sabbath- school?" 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am,"  said  Nettie.  She  was 
in  great  doubt  as  to  whether  this  was  a  correct 
answer,  for  the  sentence  had  the  tone  of  a  ques- 
tion in  it,  but  truthful  Nettie  could  not  say  that 
she  enjoyed  it  very  much,  and  did  not  want  to 
say  that  she  had  never  had  a  more  miserable 
time  in  her  life. 

Jerry  was  harder  to  answer.  "  Was  it  nice  ?" 
he  asked  her,  as  soon  as  they  were  fairly  outside. 
"  Did  you  have  a  good  time  ?  Those  girls  looked 
a  trifle  like  peacocks,  didn't  they?  I  thought 
you  were  the  best  dressed  one  among  them." 

O,  ignorant  boy!  If  there  hadn't  been  such 
a  lump  in  Nettie's  throat,  she  would  have  laughed 
at  this  bit  of  folly.  As  it  was,  she  contrived  to 
give  him  a  very  little  shadow  of  a  smile,  and  was 


158      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

glad  that  the  church  door  was  near  at  hand,  and 
that  there  was  no  more  time  for  closer  questions. 
All  through  the  morning  service  she  was  try- 
ing to  forget.  It  was  not  easy  to  do,  for 
there  sat  three  of  the  girls  in  a  seat  on  which 
she  could  look  down  all  the  time;  and  try  as 
she  would,  it  seemed  impossible  to  keep  eyes 
or  thoughts  from  turning  that  way.  The  girls 
did  not  behave  very  well.  They  whispered 
a  good  deal,  during  the  Bible  reading,  and 
giggled  over  a  book  that  fell  while  the  hymn 
was  being  sung;  and  though  Nettie  covered  her 
eyes  during  prayer,  she  could  not  help  hearing  a 
soft  little  buzz  of  whispering  voices,  even  then. 
Jerry  looked  straight  before  him,  with  bright, 
untroubled  face,  and  seemed  to  be  having  a  good 
time.  Susie  and  Sate,  who  had  never  been  in 
church  before  in  their  lives,  behaved  remarkably 
well.  In  the  course  of  the  morning  Sate  leaned 
her  little  brown  head  trustingly  against  Nettie 
and  dropped  asleep,  and  Nettie  put  her  arm 
around  her,  arranged  her  pretty  head  comfort- 
ably, and  looked  lovingly  down  upon  her,  and 
was  glad  that  she  had  a  little  sister  to  love. 
Two  of  them,  indeed,  for  Susie  sat  bolt  upright 
and  looked  straight  before  her,  and  took  in  every. 


A   SABBATH    TO   REMEMBER.  159 

thing  with  wide-open  eyes,  and  looked  so  hand- 
some with  her  glowing  cheeks  and  her  lovely 
curls,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  not  to  feel 
proud  of  the  womanly  little  face. 

Nettie  contrived  to  keep  herself  occupied  with 
the  prattle  of  the  children  during  the  walk 
home.  She  was  not  yet  ready  for  Jerry's  ques- 
tions. She  did  not  know  what  to  say.  Of  one 
thing  she  felt  sure ;  that  was,  that  she  never 
meant  to  go  to  that  Sabbath-school  again. 

Dinner  was  nearly  ready  when  they  reached 
home ;  such  an  appetizing  smell  of  soup  as  had 
never  filled  the  Decker  kitchen  before.  Mrs. 
Decker  had  followed  the  directions  of  her  young 
daughter  with  great  care ;  and  presently  a  very 
comfortable  family  sat  down  to  the  table.  There 
were  no  soup  plates,  but  there  were  two  bowls 
for  the  father  and  mother,  and  a  deep  saucer  for 
Norm ;  and  the  little  girls  were  made  happy 
with  tin  cups,  two  of  which  Nettie  had  found 
and  scoured,  the  day  before.  It  was  certainly  a 
very  pleasant  time.  After  dinner,  as  Nettie  was 
preparing  to  wash  the  dishes,  her  mother  came 
out  with  a  troubled  face,  and  whispered  : 

u  Norm  says  he  guesses  he  will  go  out  for  a 
walk ;  and  I  know  what  that  means ;  he  gets 


160    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

with  a  mean  set  every  Sunday,  and  they  carouse 
dreadful ;  it  is  the  worst  day  in  the  week  for 
boys.  I  was  thinking,  what  if  you  could  get 
that  boy  next  door  to  go  a-fishing  again ;  Norm 
enjoyed  it  last  night  first-rate ;  and  he  said  that 
boy  was  as  jolly  company  as  he  should  ever 
want.  If  he  could  keep  him  away  from  that 
set,  he  would  be  doing  a  good  deed." 

"But,  mother," she  said,  "it  is  Sunday." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Decker,  "that's  just  what 
I've  been  saying;  Sunday  is  the  day  when  he 
gets  into  the  worst  kind  of  scrapes.  Do  you 
think  Jerry  would  help  us  ?" 

"  I  know  he  would  if  he  could ;  but  he  could 
not  go  fishing  on  Sunday,  you  know." 

"Why  not?  I  should  think  it  was  enough 
eight  better  than  for  Norm  to  go  off  with  a  set 
of  loafers,  who  do  all  sorts  of  wicked  things." 

Poor  Nettie  was  not  skilled  in  argument ;  she 
did  not  know  how  to  explain  to  her  mother  that 
Jerry  must  not  do  one  wrong  thing,  to  keep 
Norm  from  doing  another  wrong  thing,  even 
though  the  thing  he  chose  might  be  the  worse  of 
the  two.  There  was  only  a  simple  statement 
which  she  could  make.  "  This  is  God's  day, 
mother,  and  he  says  we  must  not  do  our  own 


A    SABBATH    TO    REMEMBER.  161 

work,  or  our  own  pleasure  on  his  day ;  and  I 
know  Jerry  will  try  to  obey  him,  because  he  is 
his  soldier." 

Mrs.  Decker  looked  at  the  red-cheeked  young 
girl  a  moment,  then  drew  a  long  sigh. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  know  that  is  the  way 
good  folks  talk ;  I  used  to  hear  plenty  of  it  when 
I  was  young ;  and  I  was  brought  up  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  as  strict  as  anybody ;  I  would  do  it  now 
if  I  could  ;  but  I'm  free  to  confess  that  I  would 
rather  have  Norm  go  a-fishing,  ten  times  over, 
than  to  go  with  those  fellows  and  get  drunk." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Nettie,  respectfully.  "  But 
then,  God  says  we  must  obey  him ;  and  he  has 
told  us  just  how  to  keep  the  Sabbath  day. 
He  couldn't  help  us  to  do  things  for  other  peo- 
ple, if  we  begin  by  disobeying  Him." 

Mrs.  Decker  went  away,  the  trouble  still  on 
her  face,  and  Nettie  began  to  wash  the  dishes. 
Suddenly,  she  dropped  her  dish  towel  and  rushed 
after  Norman  as  he  lounged  out  of  the  door. 

"Norman,"  she  called,  just  as  he  was  moving 
down  the  street, "  won't  you  take  the  little  girls 
and  me  over  to  that  green  place,  that  I  see,  the 
other  side  of  the  pond  ?  There  is  such  a  pretty 
tree  there,  and  it  looks  so  pleasant  on  the  bank. 


162      LITTLE    FISHKBS:     AND    THEIB    NETS. 

I  have  some  story  papers  that  I  promised  to 
read  to  the  little  girls,  and  that  would  be  such  a 
nice  place  for  reading.  Won't  you?" 

Norm  stopped  and  looked  down  at  her  in 
astonishment,  and  some  embarrassment.  "  You 
can  go  over  there  without  me,"  he  said,  at 
last;  "it  isn't  such  a  dreadful  ways  off;  there's 
a  plank  across  the  stream  down  there  a  ways, 
where  it  is  narrow.  Lots  of  girls  go  there." 

Nettie  looked  over  at  it  timidly.  She  was 
honestly  afraid  of  the  water,  and  nothing  short 
of  keeping  Norm  out  of  harm's  way  would  have 
tempted  her  to  cross  a  plank,  with  the  little 
girls  for  companions.  She  spoke  in  genuine 
timidity. 

"  I  wouldn't  like  to  go  over  there  alone,  with 
just  the  children.  I  am  not  used  to  going  about 
alone.  Couldn't  you  go  with  us,  for  just  a  little 
while?  It  will  seem  so  nice  to  have  a  big 
brother  to  take  care  of  me." 

Something  about  it  all  seemed  suddenly  rather 
nice  to  Norm.  He  had  never  been  asked  to 
take  care  of  anybody  before.  He  stood  irreso- 
lutely for  a  moment,  then  said  lazily,  "  Well,  I 
don't  know  as  I  care ;  bring  on  your  babies, 
then,  and  we'll  go." 


A    SABBATH    TO    REMEMBER.  163 

Nettie  sped  back  to  the  kitchen,  dashed  after 
the  little  girls  and  their  sunbonnets,  saying  to 
Mrs.  Decker  as  she  went :  "  Mother,  would  you 
mind  finishing  the  dishes?  Norman  is  going  to. 
take  the  little  girls  and  me  over  to  the  big  tree, 
and  we  are  going  to  stay  there  awhile,  and  read." 

"  I'll  finish  ,'em,"  said  Mrs.  Decker,  comfort  in 
her  tone,  and  she  murmured,  as  she  watched 
them  away,  Sate  with  her  hand  slipped  inside  of 
Norm's,  "  I  declare,  I  never  see  the  beat  of  that 
girl  in  all  my  life." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A    BARGAIN   AND    A   PROMISE. 

TIRING  the  next  few  days  work  went  on 
rapidly  in  the  Decker  home :  or,  moi-e 
properly  speaking,  in  the  room  over  Job  Smith's 
barn.  Jerry  developed  such  taste  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  furniture,  or  of  "  skeletons,"  that 
Nettie  grew  alarmed  lest  there  should  never 
be  found  clothing  enough  to  cover  them.  How- 
ever, matters  in  that  respect  began  to  look 
brighter.  Mrs.  Job  Smith,  as  she  grew  into  an 
understanding  of  the  plan,  dragged  out  certain 
old  trunks  from  her  woodhouse  chamber  and 
looked  them  over.  There  were  treasures  in 
those  trunks,  which  even  Mrs*  Job  herself  had 
forgotten.  A  gay  chintz  dress  of  Job's  mother's, 
which  had  been  saved  by  her  daughter-in-law 
"  she  couldn't  rightly  tell  for  what,  only  Job 
set  store  by  it  because  it  was  his  old  mother's." 
Nettie  fairly  clapped  her  hands  in  delight  over 
164 


A   BARGAIN   AND   A   PROMISE.  165 

it,  and  then  blushed  crimson  when  she  remem- 
bered it  was  not  hers. 

"Well,  now,"  said  Mrs.  Job,  "I'll  just  tell 
you  what  it  is.  If  you  see  anything  in  life  to  do 
with  these  rolls  of  things,  here  is  a  bundle  of  old 
muslin  curtains,  embroidered,  you  know,  and 
dreadful  pretty  once,  I  suppose,  but  they  are  all 
to  pieces  now.  Mrs.  Percival,  a  lady  I  used  to 
clear  starch  and  iron  for,  gave  them  to  me ;  paid 
me  in  that  kind  of  trash,  you  know,  though 
what  in  the  world  she  thought  I  could  ever  do 
with  them  is  more  than  I  could  imagine.  But 
I  was  younger  then  than  I  am  now,  and  waa 
kind  of  meek,  and  I  lugged  home  the  great  roll 
and  said  nothing ;  only  I  remember  when  I  got 
home  I  just  sat  down  on  a  corner  of  the  table 
and  cried,  I  was  so  disappointed.  I  had  expected 
to  be  paid  in  money,  and  I  had  planned  two  or 
three  things  to  surprise  Job,  and  they  had  to  be 
given  up.  Well,  as  I  was  saying,"  she  added, 
in  a  brisker  tone,  having  roused  from  her  little 
dream  of  the  past  to  watch  Nettie's  fingers  lin- 
ger lovingly  and  wistfully  among  the  rolls  of 
soft  muslin,  "they  have  never  been  the  least 
mite  of  good  to  me.  I  have  just  kept  them  be- 
cause it  didn't  seem  quite  the  thing  to  throw 


166      LITTLE   FISHERS:    AND    THEIK   NETS.  , 

such  pretty  soft  stuff  into  the  rag-bag,  and  they 
were  dreadful  poor  trash  to  give  away ;  and 
Sarah  Jane,  she  is  tired  of  having  them  in  the 
attic  taking  up  room,  and  if  there  is  anything  in 
life  can  be  done  with  these  things  in  this  trunk, 
I  wish  you  would  just  go  shares,  and  make  some 
things  for  me  too.  Sarah  Jane  would  like  it, 
first-rate." 

This  sentence  fairly  made  Nettie  catch  her 
breath.  The  treasures  in  that  trunk  were  so 
wonderful  to  her.  "  I  could  make  such  lovely 
things!"  she  said,  almost  gasping  out  the 
words;  "but,  O  Mrs.  Smith,  you  can't  mean  it! 
I'm  afraid  I  oughtn't  to." 

"  Why,  bless  your  heart,  child,  I  tell  you  I 
don't  know  of  a  single  useful  thing  in  that 
trunk ;  not  one ;  it  is  just  a  pack  of  rubbish, 
now,  that's  the  truth;  and  if  Sarah  Jane  has 
begged  me  once  to  let  her  sell  it  to  the  rag  ped- 
lers,  I  believe  she  has  twenty  times." 

The  bare  thought  of  such  a  sacrifice  as  this 
almost  made  Nettie  pale.  Also  it  settled  her 
resolution  and  her  conscience.  She  reached  for- 
ward and  plunged  into  the  delights  of  the  de- 
spised trunk  with  a  satisfied  air.  "  I  will  make 
you  some  of  the  prettiest  things  you  ever  saw 


A   BARGAIN    AND    A    PROMISE.  167 

in  your  life,"  she  said,  with  the  air  of  one  who 
knew  she  could  do  it.  And  Mrs.  Smith  laughed, 
and  watched  her  with  admiring  eyes,  and  told 
Sarah  Jane  that  she  believed  the  child  could  do 
some  things  that  other  folks  couldn't. 

It  was  after  the  day's  work  was  done,  and  the 
little  girls  were  asleep,  and  Nettie  sat  in  the 
back  door  waiting  for  father  and  Norm,  and 
wishing  that  they  had  not  gone  down  town 
again,  that  she  had  a  chance  to  say  the  few  little 
words  which  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  say 
to  Jerry.  While  her  hands  had  been  busy  over 
long  seams  of  rag  carpeting,  and  over  the  won- 
derful trunk  full  of  treasures,  her  thoughts  had, 
much  of  the  time,  been  busy  with  other  matters. 
Yesterday  at  noon  she  had  been  sure  that  she 
should  never  go  to  that  Sabbath-school  again. 
By  night,  after  the  quiet  talk  under  the  trees 
with  Norm  and  the  little  girls,  she  had  not  been 
so  sure  of  it.  The  little  girls  could  not  go  with- 
out her,  and  they  had  learned  sweet  lessons  that 
very  day,  which  had  filled  their  young  heads 
full  of  wondering  thoughts,  and  they  had  asked 
questions  which  had  at  least  amused  NWm,  and 
which  might  set  him  to  thinking.  In  any  case, 
ought  she,  because  she  had  not  been  happy  in 


168      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

her  class,  to  deprive  the  little  girls  of  the  help 
which  the  Sabbath-school  might  be  to  them? 
Then  how  badly  it  would  look  to  Norm,  and  to 
her  mother,  if  she  went  no  more.  And  what 
would  Jerry  think  ?  On  the  whole,  the  longer 
she  thought  about  it,  the  more  she  felt-  inclined 
to  believe  that  her  decision  might  have  been  a 
hasty  one,  and  it  was  her  duty  to  continue  in 
that  Sabbath-school,  and  even  in  that  class,  at 
least  until  the  superintendent  placed  her  in  some 
other.  It  was  a  good  deal  of  a  trial  to  her  to 
decide  the  question  in  this  way,  but  she  could 
not  make  any  other  seem  right. 

There  had  also  been  another  question  to  de- 
cide, which  had  been  harder,  and  cost  her  more 
tears  than  the  other.  She  was  a  very  lonely  lit- 
tle girl,  and  it  seemed  hard  to  give  up  a  friend. 
But  this,  too,  seemed  to  be  the  only  right  thing 
to  do,  so  she  made  it  known  to  Jerry  in  the 
moonlight. 

"  Do  you  know,  Jerry,  I  have  been  thinking 
all  day  of  something  that  I  ought  to  say  to  you  ?" 

"  All  right,"  said  Jerry,  whittling  away  at  the 
stick  which  he  was  fashioning  into  a  proper  shape 
to  do  duty  as  a  towel  rack  for  Mrs.  Job  Smith's 
kitchen  towel.  "  Go  ahead,  this  is  a  good  time 


A   BARGAIN   AND   A   PBOMISE.  169 

to  say  it."  And  he  held  the  stick  up  and  took  a 
scientific  squint  at  it  in  the  moonlight.  "  This 
thing  would  work  better  if  the  wood  were  a  lit- 
tle softer.  I  am  going  to  make  one  for  your 
mother  if  it  is  a  success,  and  it  will  be.  Now 
what  is  your  news?  " 

"  It  isn't  news,"  said  Nettie,  "  it  is  only  some- 
thing that  I  have  made  up  my  mind  I  ought  to 
say.  Jerry,  I  think,  that  is,  I  don't  think,  I 
mean" —  And  there  she  stopped. 

"Just  so,"  said  Jerry,  nodding  his  head 
gravely,  "  that  is  plain,  I  am  sure,  and  interest- 
ing; I  agree  with  you  entirely."  After  that, 
both  of  them  had  to  laugh  a  little,  and  the  story 
did  not  get  on. 

"  But  I  truly  mean  it,"  Nettie  said  at  last,  her 
face  growing  grave  again,  "  and  I  ought  to  say 
it.  What  I  want  to  tell  you  is,  that  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  that  you  and  I  must  not  be 
friends  any  more." 

Jerry  did  not  laugh  now,  he  did  not  even 
whistle.  His  knife  suddenly  stopped,  and  he 
squared  around  to  get  a  full  view  of  her  face. 

"  What ! "  he  said  at  last,  as  though  he  did 
not  think  it  possible  that  he  could  have  under- 
stood her. 


170      LITTLE   FISHEBS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"Yes,"  she  said  firmly,  "I  mean  it,  Jerry,  and 
it  is  real  hard  to  say;  you  and  I  ought  not  to  be 
friends,  or,  I  mean  we  must  not  let  folks  know 
that  we  are  friends.  We  mustn't  take  walks  to- 
gether, nor  work  together.  I  don't  mean  that  I 
shall  not  like  you  all  the  same ;  but  we  mustn't 
have  anything  to  do  with  each  other." 

"Why  not,  pray?  Have  I  done  anything  to 
make  you  ashamed  of  me  ?  I'll  try  to  behave 
myself,  I'm  sure." 

This  was  so  ridiculous  that  Nettie  could  not 
help  smiling  a  little. 

"  O,  Jerry  ! "  she  said, "  you  know  better  than 
to  talk  in  that  way.  It  sounds  strange,  I  know, 
and  it  is  real  hard  to  do,  but  I  am  sure  it  is 
right,  and  we  must  do  it." 

"  But  what  in  the  world  is  the  trouble  ?  Can't 
you  give  a  fellow  a  reason  for  things?  Is  it 
your  brother  who  doesn't  like  it  ?  " 

"  O  no !  Norm  likes  you ;  and  mother  is  as 
much  obliged  to  you  as  she  can  be,  for  getting 
him  to  go  a-fishing.  But,  you  see,  it  is  bad  for 
you  to  be  my  friend." 

"  Oh-ho !  I  don't  believe  your  influence  is 
very  hard  on  me;  I  don't  feel  as  though  you 
had  led  me  very  far  astray ! " 


A   BARGAIN   AND   A   PROMISE.  171 

"It  isn't  fun,  Jerry,  it  is  sober  earnest.  I 
have  heard  things  said  that  set  me  to  thinking. 
I  overheard  the  girls  talk!  those  girls  in  the 
class,  you  know,  yesterday.  I  guess  they  did 
not  know  I  was  there.  They  talked  about  me  a 
good  deal.  They  said  I  had  a  last  year's  hat  on, 
and  that  is  true,  and  my  dress  was  only  gingham, 
and  washed  at  that." 

"Washed!"  interrupted  Jerry  in  bewilder- 
ment ;  "  well,  what  of  that  ?  Would  they  have 
had  you  wear  it  dirty  ?  " 

But  Nettie  hastened  on;  she  did  not  feel 
equal  to  explaining  to  him  the  subtle  distinction 
between  a  brand-new  dress  and  one  that  had 
been  "  done  up." 

"  They  said  a  good  deal  more  than  that, 
Jerry,  and  it  was  all  true.  They  said  I  was 
nothing  but  a  drunkard's  daughter,"  and  here 

o  o  * 

Nettie  found  it  hard  work  to  control  the  sob  in 
her  throat. 

"  That  is  not  true,"  said  Jerry,  indignantly. 
"Your  father  has  not  drank  a  drop  in  three 
days." 

"  Oh  !  but,  Jerry,  you  know  he  does  drink ; 
and  he  has  gone  down  town  to-night,  and  mother 
is  sure  that  he  will  not  come  home  sober.  It  is 


172      LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

all  true,  Jerry.  I  don't  mean  that  I  am  going 
to  give  up.  I  shall  try  for  father  all  the  time ; 
and  I  think  maybe  he  will  reform,  after  a  while. 
And  I  won't  forget  our  promise,  and  I  know 
you  won't ;  but  it  is  best  for  us  not  to  act  like 
friends.  They  talked  about  you,  too ;  they  said 
you  were  handsome,  and  they  used  to  like  you ; 
they  thought  you  were  smart.  But  now  you 
had  begun  to  go  with  me,  so  you  couldn't  be 
much.  One  of  them  said  you  were  an  Irish 
boy,  that  you  had  a  real  Irish  name.  Are  you 
Irish,  Jerry?" 

"  Not  much!  Or,  hold  on,  I  don't  know  but 
I  am.  Why,  yes,  my  great-grandmother  came 
from  the  North  of  Ireland.  Father  is  proud  of 
it,  I  remember." 

"Well,  I  don't  care  where  you  came  from, 
you  know.  Nor  whether  you  are  Irish,  or  Dutch, 
or  what ;  I  am  only  telling  you  what  they  said. 
They  told  how  you  worked  at  Job  Smith's  for 
your  board  ;  and  one  of  them  said  your  father 
had  run  away  and  left  you." 

"Well,  he  has;  run  three  thousand  miles 
away,  and  left  me,  as  sure  as  time.  But  he 
means  to  run  back  again,  when' he  gets  ready." 

"  I  knew  that  wasn't  true,  Jerry ;  and  I  only 


A  BARGAIN   AND   A   PROMISE.  173 

tell  you  because  I  thought  you  might  want  to 
speak  about  your  father  in  a  way  that  would 
show  them  it  wasn't  so.  But  what  I  want  to 
say  is,  that  I  know  they  will  get  all  over  those 
feelings  when  they  come  to  know  you ;  and  they 
will  like  you,  and  invite  you  to  places,  if  you 
don't  go  with  me ;  but  they  won't  any  of  them 
have  anything  to  do  with  me,  on  account  of  my 
father.  And,  Jerry,  I  want  you  not  to  go  with 
me,  or  talk  with  me  any  more." 

"Just  so,"  said  Jerry,  in  an  unconcerned 
voice.  "  Do  you  think  I  am  making  this  stick 
too  long  for  the  frame  ?  Our  kitchen  towels  are 
pretty  wide.  Well,  now,  see  here,  Miss  Nettie 
Decker,  you  would  not  make  a  very  honest  busi- 
ness woman  if  you  went  back  on  a  square  bar- 
gain in  that  fashion.  You  and  I  settled  it  to  be 
partners  in  a  very  important  business  ;  and  part- 
ners can't  get  along  very  well  without  speaking 
to  each  other.  There  is  no  use  in  talking.  You 
are  several  days  too  late.  The  mischief  is  done. 
I'm  your  friend  and  fellow-laborer  and  partner 
in  the  cabinet  business,  and  the  upholstery  line, 
and  all  the  other  lines.  You  will  find  me  the 
hardest  fellow  to  get  rid  of  that  ever  was.  I 
don't  shake  off  worth  a  cent.  I  shall  take  walks 


174      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

with  you  every  chance  I  can  get ;  and  shout  to 
you  from  the  woodshed  window  when  you  are 
over  home,  and  wait  for  you  to  come  out  wrhen 
I  think  it  is  about  time  you  should  appear,  and 
be  on  hand  in  all  imaginable  places.  Now  I 
hope  you  understand  what  sort  of  a  fellow  I 
am." 

If  the  boy  had  looked  in  Nettie's  face  just 
then,  he  would  have  seen  a  sudden  light  flash 
over  it  which  carried  away  a  good  deal  of  the 
look  of  patient  endurance  which  it  had  worn  for 
the  last  few  hours.  Still  her  voice  was  full  of 
earnestness. 

"But,  Jerry,  they  will  not  have  anything  to 
do  with  you  if  you  act  so.  By  and  by  they  will 
not  even  speak  to  you.  And  they  won't  invite 
you  to  their  parties,  nor  anywhere.  There  is 
going  to  be  a  party  next  week,  and  I  think  you 
would  have  been  invited  if  you  hadn't  gone  with 
me  Sunday;  now  I  am  afraid  you  won't  be." 

And  now  Jerry  whistled  a  few  rollicking 
notes. 

"  All  right,"  he  said  in  a  cheery  tone.  "  If 
there  is  any  one  thing  more  than  another  that  I 
don't  like  to  go  to,  it  is  a  girls'  party  where  they 
make  believe  act  like  silly,  grown-up  men  and 


A   BARGAIN   AXD    A    PROMISE.  176 

women.  I  know  just  about  what  kind  of  a  party 
those  girls  in  that  class  would  get  up.  If  you 
have  been  the  means  of  saving  me  from  an  invi- 
tation, it  is  just  another  thing  to  thank  you  for. 
Look  here,  Nettie,  let  us  make  another  bargain, 
sober  earnest,  not  to  be  broken.  I  don't  care  a 
red  cent  for  the  girls,  nor  their  invitations,  nor 
their  bows ;  I  would  just  as  soon  they  did  not 
know  me  when  they  met  me  as  not.  If  that  is 
their  game,  I  shall  like  nothing  better  than  to 
meet  them  half-way;  girls  who  would  know 
no  better  than  to  talk  the  way  they  did  about  you, 
are  not  to  my  liking.  If  because  you  wear  clothes 
that  are  neat  and  nice  and  the  best  you  can  afford, 
and  because  I  am  an  Irish  boy  and  work  for  my 
board,  are  good  reasons  for  not  having  any  thing 
to  do  with  us,  why,  we  will  return  the  favor 
and  not  have  anything  to  do  with  them,  for  bet- 
ter reasons  than  they  have  shown.  Let's  drop 
them.  I  thought  some  of  them  would  be  good 
friends  to  you,  maybe,  and  help  you  to  have  a 
nice  time ;  but  they  are  not  of  the  right  sort,  it 
seems.  You  and  I  will  have  just  as  good  times 
as  we  can  get  up.  And  we  will  bow  to  them  if 
they  bow  to  us ;  if  they  don't  we  will  let  them 
pass.  What  is  settled  is,  that  we  are  bound 


176      LITTLE    FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

to  work  out  this  thing  together.    Understand  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Nettie,  with  a  little  soft  laugh, 
"  I  understand,  and  I  don't  believe  I  ought  to 
let  you  do  it.  But  you  don't  know  how  nice  it 
is ;  and  I  can't  tell  you  how  lonesome  I  felt  when 
I  thought  I  ought  not  to  talk  with  you  any 
more." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  you  help  yourself,"  said 
Jerry,  in  a  complacent  tone.  "  You  would  find 
it  the  hardest  work  you  ever  did  in  your  life  not 
to  talk  to  me,  when  I  should  keep  up  a  regular 
fire  of  questions  of  all  sorts  and  sizes." 

Then  Nettie  laughed  outright,  but  added, 
after  a  moment  of  silence,  "  But,  Jerry,  I  think 
the  worst  of  it  is  about  father ;  and  that  is  true, 
you  know.  They  might  not  think  so  much  about 
the  clothes,  if  it  were  not  for  him." 

"  That  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  said  Jerry 
sturdily.  "  You  are  not  to  blame  for  your  fath- 
er's drinking  liquor.  Wouldn't  you  stop  it 
quick  enough  if  you  could  ?  It  is  only  another 
reason  why  they  ought  to  be  friends  to  you.  Be- 
sides, there  wouldn't  be  so  much  of  the  stuff  for 
folks  to  drink,  if  Lorena  Barstow's  father  did 
not  make  it." 

«'O  Jerry!  does  he?" 


A    BARGAIN    AND    A    PROMISE.  177 

"  Yes,  he  does.  Owns  one  of  the  largest  dis- 
tilleries in  the  country." 

"Jerry,  I  think  I  would  rather  have  my 
father  drink  liquor  than  make  it  for  other  folks. 
At  least  he  doesn't  make  money  out  of  other 
people's  troubles." 

"  So  would  I,  enough  sight,"  said  Jerry  with 
emphasis.  Then  he  lifted  up  his  voice  in  an- 
swer to  Mrs.  Job  Smith  who  appeared  in  the  ad- 
joining door.  "All  right,  auntie,  we  are  com- 
ing." And  he  carefully  gathered  the  chips  he 
had  whittled,  into  his  handkerchief,  and  rose  up. 

"  Going  over  now,  Nettie  ?  I  guess  auntie 
thinks  it  is  time  to  lock  up." 

Nettie  darted  within  for  a  few  minutes,'then 
appeared,  and  they  crossed  the  yard  together. 
As  they  stepped  on  the  lower  step  of  Mrs. 
Smith's  porch,  Jerry  said  :  "  Remember  this  is 
a  bargain  forever  and  aye,  Nettie ;  there  is  to 
be  no  backing  out,  and  no  caring  for  what  folks 
say,  or  for  what  happens,  either  now  or  after- 
wards. Do  you  promise  ?  " 

"  I  promise,"  said  Nettie  with  a  smile.  And 
they  went  into  the  clean  kitchen. 

Before  Jerry  went  to  bed  that  night  he  took 
out  of  the  fly  leaf  of  his  Bible  the  picture  of 


178      LITTLE    FISHEKS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

a  tall  man,  and  kissed  it,  as  he  said  aloud : 
"  So  you  have  run  away  and  left  your  poor  lit- 
tle Irish  boy,  have  you?  But  when  you  run 
back  again,  won't  they  all  be  glad  to  see  you, 
though ! " 


CHAPTER  X. 

PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT. 

r  MHE  day  came  at  last  when  the  front  room 
at  the  Deckers  was  put  in  order.  I  don't 
suppose  you  have  any  idea  how  pretty  that  room 
looked  when  the  last  tack  was  driven,  and  the 
last  fold  in  the  curtain  twitched  into  place ! 
The  rag  carpet  was  very  bright.  "  I  put  a  good 
many  red  and  yellows  in  it,"  said  Mrs.  Smith, 
"and  now  I  know  why  I  did  it.  It  js  just 
bright  enough  for  this  room.  I  don't  see  how 
you  two  could  have  got  it  down  as  firm  as  you 
have." 

" Nettie  managed  it,"  said  Mrs.  Decker,  "she 
is  a  master  hand  at  putting  down  carpets." 

The  furniture  was  done  and  in  place,  and  cer- 
tainly did  justice  to  the  manufacturers.  There 
were  two  "sofas"  with  backs  which  were  so 
nicely  padded  that  they  were  very  comfortable 
things  to  lean  against,  and  the  gay-flowered 
179 


180      LITTLE    FISHERS  !     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

goods  that  had  looked  "so  horrid"  in  a  dress 
that  Mrs.  Smith  could  never  bring  herself  to 
wear  it,  proved  to  be  just  the  thing  for  a  sofa- 
cover.  Between  the  windows  was  a  very  mar- 
vel of  a  table.  Nobody  certainly  to  look  at  it, 
draped  in  the  whitest  of  muslin,  with  a  pink 
cambric  band  around  its  waist,  covered  with 
the  muslin,  and  looking  as  much  like  pink  rib- 
bon as  possible,  would  have  imagined  that  a 
square  post,  about  six  inches  in  diameter,  and 
two  feet  long,  with  a  barrel  head  securely  nailed 
to  each  end,  was  the  "skeleton"  out  of  which 
all  this  prettiness  was  evolved.  "And  mine  is 
as  like  it  as  two  peas,"  said  Mrs.  Smith, 
"only  mine  is  tied  with  blue  ribbon.  Who 
would  have  thought  such  things  could  be  made 
out  of  what  they  had  to  work  with !  I  declare 
them  two  young  things  beat  all ! "  This  time 
she  meant  Nettie  and  Jerry,  not  the  two  tables. 
The  curtains  for  which,  after  much  considera- 
tion, cheap  unbleached  muslin  had  been  chosen, 
when  their  pinkish  lambrequins  of  the  same  gay- 
flowered  goods  as  the  sofas,  had  been  cut  and 
scalloped,  and  put  in  place,  were  almost  pretty 
enough  to  justify  the  extravagant  admiration 
which  they  called  forth.  But  the  crowning 


PLEA8UKE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         181 

glory  was,  after  all,  a  chair  which  occupied  the 
broad  space  between  the  window  and  the  door. 
It  was  cushioned,  back,  and  sides,  and  arms ;  it 
was  dressed  in  a  robe  which  had  belonged  to 
Job  Smith's  grandmother.  It  was  delightful  to 
look  at,  and  delightful  to  sit  in.  Mrs..  Decker 
declared  that  the  first  time  she  sat  down  in  it, 
she  felt  more  rested  than  she  had  in  three  years. 

Those  two  barrel  chairs  were  triumphs  of  art. 
Jerry  had  been  a  week  over  the  first  one,  plan- 
ning, trying,  failing,  trying  again ;  Nettie  had 
seen  one  once,  in  the  room  of  a  house  where  she 
used  to  go  sometimes  to  carry  flowers  to  a  sick 
woman.  She  had  admired  it  very  much,  and 
the  lady  herself  had  told  her  how  it  was  made, 
and  that  her  nephew,  a  boy  of  sixteen,  made  it 
for  her.  Now,  although  Jerry  was  not  a  boy  of 
sixteen,  he  had  no  idea  there  lived  one  of  that 
age  who  could  accomplish  anything  which  he 
could  not ;  so  he  persevered,  and  I  must  say  his 
success  was  complete.  Mrs.  Smith  believed  there 
never  was  such  a  wonderful  chair  made,  before. 

Jerry  who  had  been  missing  for  the  last  half- 
hour,  now  appeared,  and  with  long  strides 
reached  the  nice  little  mantel  and  set  thereon  a 
lamp,  not  very  large,  but  new  and  bright. 


182     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

"  That  belongs  to  the  firm,"  he  said,  in  answer 
to  Nettie's  look.  "  I  saw  a  lamp  the  other  day 
that  I  knew  would  just  fit  nicely  on  that  mantel, 
and  I  couldn't  rest  until  I  had  tried  it." 

Nettie's  cheeks  were  red.  She  glanced  over 
at  her  mother  to  see  how  she  would  like  this. 
Nettie  did  not  know  whether  a  poor  boy's 
money  ought  to  be  taken  to  provide  a  lamp  for 
the  new  room ;  she  much  doubted  the  propriety 
of  it.  "  The  first  money  I  earn,  or  father  gives 
me,  I  can  pay  him  back,"  she  thought,  then  gave 
herself  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  her  new  treasure. 

None  of  them  had  planned  to  give  a  recep- 
tion that  evening,  yet  I  do  not  know  but  such 
an  unusual  state  of  things  as  was  found  at  the 
Deckers  about  eight  o'clock,  is  worthy  of  so 
dignified  a  name.  Mr.  Decker  and  Norm  came 
in  to  supper  together,  and  both  a  little  late. 
Nettie  had  trembled  over  what  kept  them,  and 
her  heart  gave  a  great  bound  of  relief  and 
thanksgiving,  when  they  appeared  at  last,  none 
the  worse  for  liquor.  Indeed,  she  did  not  think 
either  of  them  had  taken  even  a  glass  of  beer. 
They  were  in  good  humor ;  a  bit  of  what  Mr. 
Decker  called  "  extra  good  luck  "  had  fallen  to 
him  in  the  shape  of  a  piece  of  work  which  it 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         183 

was  found  he  could  manage  better  than  any 
other  hand  in  the  shop,  and  for  which  extra 
wages  were  to  be  paid.  And  Norm  had  been 
told  that  he  was  quite  a  success  in  a  certain  line 
of  work.  "  He  kept  me  after  hours  to  give  the 
new  boy  a  lift,"  said  Norm,  good-naturedly; 
u  he  said  I  knew  how  to  do  the  work,  and  how 
to  tell  others  better  than  the  other  fellows." 

It  was  a  good  time  for  Mrs.  Decker  to  tell 
what  had  been  going  on  in  the  square  room,  or 
rather  to  hint  at  it,  and  tell  them  when  supper 
was  over,  they  should  go  in  and  see.  "  Nannie 
and  I  haven't  been  folding  our  hands  while  you 
have  been  working,"  she  said  with  a  complacent 
air,  and  a  smile  for  Nettie  as  warmed  that  little 
girl's  heart,  making  her  feel  it  would  not  be  a 
hard  thing  to  love  this  new  mother  a  great  deal. 

So  after  supper  they  went  in.  I  suppose  you 
can  hardly  understand  or  imagine  their  sur- 
prise ;  because,  you  see,  you  have  been  used  all 
your  life  to  nicely  arranged  rooms.  For  Mr. 
Becker  it  stirred  old  memories.  There  had 
been  a  time  when  his  best  room  if  not  so  fine  as 
this,  was  neat  and  clean,  with  many  comforts  in 
it.  "Well,  I  never,"  he  began,  and  then  his 
voice  choked,  and  he  stopped. 


184      LITTLE   FISHEES:    AND   THEIR   NETS. 

However,  Norm  could  talk,  and  expressed  his 
surprise  and  pleasure  in  eager  words.  "  Where 
did  you  get  the  table,  and  the  gimcracks  around 
that  chair  ?  Is  that  a  chair,  or  a  sofa,  or  what  ? 
Halloo!  here's  a  new  lamp.  Let's  have  it 
lighted  and  see  how  it  works.  I  tell  you  what 
it  is,  Nannie  Decker,  I  guess  you're  a  brick  and 
no  mistake." 

Then  father  was  coaxed  to  sit  down  in  the 
barrel  chair,  and  try  its  strength  and  its  soft- 
ness, and  guess  what  it  was  made  of.  And  the 
little  girls  stood  at  his  knee  and  put  in  eager 
words  as  to  the  effect  that  they  helped,  and 
altogether,  there  was  such  a  time  as  that  family 
had  not  known  before. 

Just  as  Nettie  was  explaining  that  it  was 
dark  enough  to  try  the  lamp,  and  Norm  went 
for  a  match,  Mrs.  Smith  made  her  way  across 
the  yard,  and  who  should  march  solemnly  be- 
hind her  but  Job  Smith  himself  ! 

"  Come  right  along,"  said  Mrs.  Decker  heart- 
ily, as  the  new  lamp  threw  a  silvery  light  across 
the  room.  "  Come  and  try  the  new  sofa.  Here, 
Mr.  Smith,  is  a  chair  for  you,  if  that  is  too  low. 
Decker,  he's  got  the  seat  of  honor ;  Nettie  said 
her  pa  must  have  the  first  chance  in  it." 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         185 

The  name  "Nettie"  seemed  to  slip  naturally 
from  Mrs.  Decker's  tongue;  she  had  heard 
Jerry  use  it  so  often  during  the  past  few  days, 
that  it  was  beginning  to  seem  like  the  proper 
name  of  that  young  woman.  Mr.  Smith  sat 
down,  slowly,  solemnly,  in  much  doubt  what  to 
do  or  say  next. 

"Well,  Neighbor  Decker,  these  young  folks 
of  ours  are  busy  people,  ain't  they,  and  seem  to 
be  getting  the  upper  hand  of  us?"  Then  he 
laughed,  a  slow,  pleasant  laugh.  Mrs.  Smith 
laughed  a  round,  admiring  satisfied  laugh;  she 
was  very  proud  of  Job  for  saying  that.  Then 
they  fell  into  conversation,  the  two  men,  about 
the  signs  of  the  times  as  regarded  business,  and 
prices,  and  various  interests.  Mr.  Decker  was 
a  good  talker,  and  here  lay  some  of  his  tempta- 
tions ;  there  was  always  somebody  in  the  saloons 
to  talk  with ;  there  was  never  anybody  in  his 
home.  Jerry  came,  presently,  to  admire  the 
room  and  the  lamp,  and  to  have  a  little  aside 
talk  with  Nettie.  Norm  was  trying  one  of  the 
lounges  near  them. 

"  How  did  you  make  this  thing  ? "  he  asked 
Jerry,  and  Jerry  explained,  and  Norm  listened 
and  asked  a  question  now  and  then,  until  pres- 


186      LITTLE    FISHERS       AND    THKIB   NETS. 

ently  he  said,  "  I  know  a  thing  that  would  im- 
prove it;  the  next  time  you  make  one,  try  it 
and  see." 

"  What  is  that  ?"  asked  Jerry. 

"  Why,  look  here,  in  this  corner  where  you 
put  the  crossbar,  if  you  should  take  a  narrower 
piece,  so,  and  fit  it  in  here  so,"  and  the  sofa  was 
unceremoniously  turned  upside  down  and  inside 
out,  and  planned  over,  Jerry  in  his  turn  becom- 
ing listener  until  at  last  he  said :  "  I  understand ; 
I  mean  to  fix  this  one,  some  day." 

* 

Nettie  nodded,  her  eyes  bright;  it  was  not 
about  the  sofa  that  they  shone ;  it  gave  her  such 
intense  pleasure  as  perhaps  you  cannot  under- 
stand, to  see  her  father  sitting  beside  Mr. 
Smith,  talking  eagerly,  and  her  mother  and  Mrs. 
Smith  having  a  good  time  together,  and  Jerry 
and  Norm  interested  in  each  other.  "  It  is  ex- 
actly like  other  folks ! "  she  said  to  Jerry,  later, 
"and  I  don't  believe  either  father  or  Norm  will 
go  down  street  to-night."  And  they  didn't. 

It  was  a  very  happy  girl  who  went  over  to 
Mrs.  Smith's  woodhouse  chamber  to  sleep  that 
night.  She  sang  softly,  while  she  was  getting 
ready  for  rest ;  and  as  often  as  she  looked  out 
of  the  window  towards  the  square  room  in  the 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.          187 

next  house,  she  smiled.  It  looked  so  much  bet- 
ter than  she  had  ever  hoped  to  make  it;  and 
father  and  Norm  had  seemed  so  pleased,  and 
they  had  all  spent  such  a  pleasant  evening. 

Alas  for  Nettie !  All  the  next  day  her  hap- 
piness lasted.  She  sang  over  her  work ;  she 
charmed  the  little  girls  with  stories.  She  made 
an  apple  pudding  for  dinner,  she  baked  some 
choice  potatoes  for  supper;  but  they  were  not 
eaten,  at  least  only  by  the  little  girls.  They 
waited  until  seven  o'clock,  and  half-past  seven, 
and  eight  o'clock  for  the  father  and  brother  who 
did  not  come.  Jerry,  who  stopped  at  the  door 
and  learned  of  the  anxiety,  slipped  away  to  try 
to  find  out  what  kept  them  ;  but  he  came  back 
in  a  little  while  with  a  grave  face  and  shook  his 
head.  Both  had  left  their  shops  at  the  usual 
time;  nobody  knew  what  had  become  of  them. 
Jerry  could  guess,  so  also  could  Mrs.  Decker. 
The  poor  woman  was  too  used  to  it  to  be  very 
much  astonished  ;  but  Nettie  was  overwhelmed. 
She  ate  no  supper ;  she  did  not  sing  at  all  over 
the  dishwashing.  She  watched  every  step  on 
the  street,  and  turned  pale  at  the  sound  of  pass- 
ing voices.  She  put  the  little  girls  to  bed,  and 
cried  over  their  gay  chatter.  She  coaxed  her 


188    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

sad-faced  mother  to  go  to  bed  at  last,  and  drew 
a  long  sigh  of  relief  when  she  went  into  her  bed- 
room and  shut  the  door.  It  had  been  so  dread- 
ful to  hear  her  say:  "I  told  you  so;  I  knew 
just  how  it  would  be.  They  will  both  come 
staggering  home.  It's  of  no  use." 

Nettie  did  not  believe  it.  She  believed  that 
work  somewhere  was  holding  them ;  people 
often  had  extra  work  to  do,  or  were  sent  on 
errands,  but  she  went  at  last  over  to  the  wood- 
house  chamber;  it  would  not  do  to  keep  the 
Smiths  up  longer.  Instead  of  making  ready  for 
bed,  she  kneeled  down  before  the  little  window 
which  gave  her  a  view  of  the  next  house,  and 
watched  and  waited.  They  came  at  last ;  father 
and  son;  not  together.  Norm  came  first,  and 
stumbled,  and  shuffled,  and  growled ;  his  voice 
was  thick,  and  the  few  words  she  could  catch 
had  no  connection  or  sense.  He  had  too  surely 
been  drinking.  But  he  was  not  so  far  gone  as 
the  father.  He  had  to  be  helped  along  the 
street  by  some  of  his  companions  ;  he  could  not 
hold  himself  upright  while  they  opened  the 
door.  And  when  the  gentle  wind  blew  it  shut 
again,  he  swore  a  succession  of  oaths  which 
made  Nettie  shudder  and  bury  her  face  in  her 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         189 

hands.  But  she  did  not  cry.  It  was  the  first 
time  in  her  young  life  that  her  heart  was  too 
heavy  for  tears.  She  drew  great  deep  sighs  as 
she  went  about,  at  last,  preparing  for  bed  ;  she 
wished  that  the  tears  would  come,  for  the  chok- 
ing feeling  might  be  relieved  by  them ;  but  the 
tears  seemed  dried.  She  tossed  about  on  her 
neat  little  bed,  in  a  sorrow  very  unlike  child- 
hood. Poor,  disappointed  Nettie  1 

The  sun  shone  brightly  the  next  morning,  but 
there  was  no  brightness  in  the  little  girl's  heart. 
She  was  early  down  stairs,  and  stole  away  to 
the  next  house  without  seeing  anybody.  Mrs. 
Decker  was  up,  with  a  face  as  wan  as  Nettie's. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  in  a  hopeless  tone,  "  it's  all 
over.  Did  you  hear  them  come  in  last  night  ? 
Both  of  'em.  If  it  had  been  one  at  a  time,  we 
could  have  stood  it  better ;  but  both  of  'em !  I 
did  have  a  little  hope,  as  sure  as  you  live. 
Your  pa  seemed  so  different  by  spells,  and 
Norm,  he  seemed  to  like  you,  and  to  stay  at 
home  more,  and  I  kind  of  chirked  up  and  thought 
may  be,  after  all,  good  times  was  coming  to  me ; 
but  it's  all  of  no  use ;  I've  give  up  ;  and  it  seema 
to  me  it  would  have  been  easier  to  have  stayed 
down,  than  to  have  crept  up,  to  tumble  back. 


190      LITTLE   FISHEBS  :    AND    THEIE   NETS. 

"Not  that  I'm  blaming  you,  child,"  she  said, 
"  you  did  your  best,  and  you  did  wonders ;  and 
I  think  sometimes,  maybe  if  I  had  made  such 
a  brave  shift  as  that  in  the  beginning,  things 
wouldn't  have  got  where  they  have.  But  I 
didn't,  and  it's  too  late  now." 

Not  a  word  had  Nettie  to  say.  It  was  a  sad 
breakfast-time.  Mr.  Decker  shambled  down 
late,  and  had  barely  time  to  swallow  his  coffee 
very  hot,  and  take  a  piece  of  bread  in  his  hand, 
for  the  seven  o'clock  bells  were  ringing,  and 
punctuality  was  something  that  was  insisted  on 
by  his  foreman.  Norm  came  later,  and  ate  very 
little  breakfast,  and  looked  miserable  enough  to 
be  sent  back  to  bed  again.  Nettie  only  saw 
him  through  a  crack  in  the  door ;  she  stayed  out 
in  the  little  back  yard,  pretending  to  put  it 
in  order.  He  made  his  stay  very  short,  and 
went  away  without  a  word  to  mother  or  sister ; 
and  the  heavy  burden  of  life  went  on.  Mrs. 
Decker  prepared  to  do  the  big  ironing  which 
yesterday  she  had  been  glad  over,  because  it 
would  give  them  a  chance  to  have  an  extra  com- 
fort added  to  the  table ;  but  which  to-day 
seemed  of  very  little  importance. 

Nettie   washed   the   dishes,  and  wished   she 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         191 

was  at  Auntie  Marshall's,  and  tried  to  plan  a 
way  for  getting  there.  What  was  the  use  of 
staying  here  ?  Hadn't  she  tried  her  very  best 
and  failed?  didn't  the  mother  say  it  was  harder 
for  her  than  though  they  hadn't  tried  at  all? 

In  the  course  of  the  morning,  Mrs.  Smith  sent 
in  a  basket  of  corn.  Sarah  Jane  brought  it. 
"  Some  folks  on  a  farm  that  mother  ironed  for, 
when  they  lived  in  town,  sent  her  a  great  basket 
full ;  heaps  more  than  we  can  use,  and  mother 
said  it  would  be  just  the  thing  for  your  men 
folks  ;  they  always  like  corn,  you  know." 

Mrs.  Decker  took  the  basket  without  a  smile 
on  her  face.  "Your  mother  is  a  very  kind 
woman,"  she  said,  "the  kindest  one  I  ever 
knew;  in  fact,  I  haven't  known  many  kind 
people,  and  that's  the  truth.  She  has  done  all 
she  could  to  help  us,  but  I  don't  know  as  we 
can  be  helped ;  it  seems  as  though  some  people 
couldn't." 

Sarah  Jane  went  back  and  told  her  mother 
that  Mrs.  Decker  seemed  dreadful  downhearted 
and  discouraged;  and  Mrs.  Smith  replied  with 
a  sigh  that  she  didn't  know  as  she  wondered  a"t 
it;  poor  thing!  Nettie  made  the  dinner  as  nice 
as  she  could.  Mr.  Decker  ate  with  a  relish,  and 


192    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

said  the  corn  was  good,  and  he  had  sometimes 
thought  that  the  bit  of  ground  back  of  the 
house  might  be  made  to  raise  corn ;  and  Nettie 
brightened  a  little,  and  looked  over  at  Norm 

O  ' 

and  was  just  going  to  say,  "Let's  have  a  gar- 
den next  summer,"  when  he  spoiled  it  by 
declaring  that  he  wouldn't  slave  in  a  garden  for 
anybody.  It  was  hard  enough  to  work  ten 
hours  a  day.  Then  his  father  told  him  that  he 
guessed  he  did  not  hurt  himself  with  work ;  and 
he  retorted  that  he  guessed  they  neither  of  them 
would  die  with  over-work ;  and  his  father  told 
him  to  hold  his  tongue.  In  short,  nothing  was 
plainer  than  that  these  two  were  ashamed  of 
themselves,  and  of  each  other,  and  were  much 
more  irritable  than  they  had  been  for  several 
days. 

The  afternoon  work  was  all  done,  and  Nettie 
had  just  hung  up  her  apron,  and  wondered 
whether  she  should  offer  to  iron  for  awhile,  or 
run  away  to  the  woodhouse  chamber,  and  write 
to  Auntie  Marshall,  when  Jerry  appeared  in  the 
door.  She  had  not  seen  him  since  the  sorrow 
of  the  night  before  had  come  upon  them ;  Net- 
tie thought  he  avoided  coming  in,  because  he 
too  was  discouraged.  Her  face  flushed  when 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         193 

she  heard  his  step,  and  she  wished  something 
would  happen  so  that  she'need  not  turn  around 
to  him.  She  felt  so  ashamed  of  her  own  people, 
and  of  his  efforts  to  help  them.  His  voice, 
however,  sounded  just  as  usual. 

"Through,  Nettie?  Then  come  out  on  the 
back  step  ;  I  want  to  talk  with  you." 

"  There  is  no  use  in  talking,"  she  said,  sadly. 
But  she  followed  him  out,  and  sat  down  list- 
lessly on  the  broad  low  step,  which  the  jog  in 
Mr.  Smith's  house  shaded  from  the  afternoon 
sun. 

Jerry  took  no  notice  of  the  words  if  indeed 
he  heard  them. 

"  I  heard  some  news  this  morning,"  he  began. 
"Two  of  the  older  boys  at  the  corner,  that  one 
in  Peck's  store,  you  know,  and  the  one  next 
door  told  me  that  a  lot  of  fellows  were  going 
off  to-night  on  what  he  called  a  lark.  They 
have  hired  a  boat,  and  are  going  to  row  across 
to  Duck  Island,  and  catch  some  fish  and  have  a 
supper  in  that  mean  little  hole  which  is  kept  on 
the  island ;  they  mean  to  make  an  all-night  of 
it.  I  don't  know  what  is  to  be  done  next ;  play 
cards,  I  suppose;  they  do,  whenever  they  get 
together,  and  lots  of  drinking.  It  is  a  dreadful 


194      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

place.  Well,  I  heard,  by  a  kind  of  accident, 
that  they  thought  of  asking  Norm  to  join  'em. 
At  first  they-  said  they  wouldn't,  because  he 
wouldn't  be  likely  to  have  any  money  to  help 
pay  the  bills ;  but  then  they  remembered  that 
he  was  a  good  rower,  and  thought  they  would 
get  his  share  out  of  him  in  that  way;  and  I 
say,  Nettie,  let's  spoil  their  plans  for  them." 

"How?"  asked  Nettie,  drearily. 

Jerry  talked  on  eagerly.  "  I  have  a  plan ;  I 
rented  a  boat  for  this  afternoon,  and  was  going 
to  ask  Mrs.  Decker  to  let  me  take  you  and  the 
chicks  for  a  ride,  and  I  meant  to  catch  some 
fish  for  our  supper ;  but  this  will  be  better.  I 
propose  to  invite  Norm  and  two  fellows  that  he 
goes  with  some,  to  go  out  with  me,  fishing.  I 
have  a  splendid  fishing  rig,  you  know,  and  I'll 
lend  it  to  them,  and  help  them  to  have  a  good 
time,  and  then  if  you  will  plan  a  kind  of  treat 
when  we  get  back  —  coffee,  you  know,  and  fish, 
and  bread  and  butter,  we  could  have  a  picnic  of 
our  own  and  as  much  fun  as  they  would  get 
with  that  set  on  the  island.  I  believe  Norm 
would  go;  he  is  just  after  a  good  time,  you  see, 
and  if  he  gets  it  in  this  way,  he  will  like  it  as 
well,  maybe  better,  than  though  he  spent  the 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         195 

night  at  it  and  got  the  worst  of  his  bargain. 
Anyhow,  it  is  worth  trying ;  if  we  can  save  him 
from  this  night's  work  it  will  be  worth  a  good 
deal.  Don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

Instead  of  the  hearty,  "yes,  indeed,"  which 
he  expected,  Nettie  said  not  a  word ;  and  when 
he  turned  and  looked  at  her,  to  learn,  what  was 
the  matter,  her  face  was  red  and  the  tears  were 
gathering  in  her  eyes. 

"Don't  you  know  what  has  happened?"  she 
asked  at  last.  "  I  thought  I  heard  you  in  your 
room  last  night  when  he  came  home." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jerry,  speaking  gravely,  "  I  was 
up.  What  of  it?"  • 

"  What  of  it?  O  Jerry  ! "  and  here  the  tears 
which  had  been  choking  poor  Nettie  all  day 
had  it  their  own  way  for  a  few  minutes.  She 
had  not  meant  to  cry;  but  she  felt  at  once  how 
quickly  the  tears  relieved  the  lump  in  her 
throat.  , 

"  I  don't  mean  that,  exactly,"  Jerry  said,  after 
waiting  a  minute  for  the  sobs  to  grow  less  deep, 
"  of  course  it  was  a  great  trouble,  and  I  have 
been  so  sorry  for  Mrs.  Decker  all  day  that  I 
wanted  to  stay  away,  because  I  could  not  think 
of  the  right  thing  to  say ;  but  it's  only  another 


496    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

reason  why  we  should  work  and  plan  in  all  ways 
to  get  ahead  of  them  and  save  Norm." 

"  O  Jerry  !  don't  you  think  it  is  too  late? " 

"  Too  late !  What  in  the  world  can  you 
mean?  Has  anything  happened  to-day  that  I 
haven't  heard  of?  Where  is  Norm?  Has  he 
gone  away  anywhere?" 

"  O,  no,"  said  Nettie,  "  he  has  gone  to  work ; 
but  I  mean  —  I  meant  —  doesn't  it  all  seem  to 
you  of  no  use  at  all  ?  After  we  worked  so  hard 
and  got  everything  nice,  and  he  seemed  so 
pleased,  and  stayed  at  home  all  the  evening  and 
talked  with  us,  and  then  the  very  next  night  to 
come  home  like  that!" 

Je'rry  stared  in  blank  astonishment. 

"I  don't  believe  I  understand,"  he  said  at  last. 
"  You  did  not  think  that  Norm  was  going  to  re- 
form the  very  minute  you  did  anything  pleasant 
for  him,  did  you?" 

"  N-no,"  said  Nettie  slowly,  "  I  don't  suppose 
I  did  ;  but  it  all  seemed  so  dreadful !  I  ex- 
pected something,  I  hardly  know  what,  and  I 
could  not  help  feeling  disappointed  and  miser- 
able." Nettie's  face  was  growing  red  ;  she  be- 
gan to  suspect  she  might  be  a  very  foolish  girl. 

"  Why,  that  is  queer,"  said  Jerry.     "  Now  I 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         197 

am  not  disappointed  a  bit.  I  am  sorry,  of 
course,  but  I  expected  just  that  thing.  Why, 
Nettie,  they  go  after  tnen  sometimes  for  months 
and  years  before  they  get  real  hold  and  are 
sure  of  them.  There  is  a  lawyer  in  New  York 
that  father  says  kept  three  men  busy  for  five 
years  trying  to  save  him.  They  didn't  succeed, 
either,  but  they  got  him  to  go  to  the  One  who 
could  save  him.  He  is  a  grand  man  now.  Sup- 
pose they  had  given  up  during  those  five  years  !  " 

"  Do  you  think  it  may  take  five  years  to  get 
hold  of  Norm  ?  "  There  were  tears  in  Nettie's 
eyes,  but  there  was  a  little  suggestion  of  a 
smile  on  her  face,  and  she  waited  eagerly  for 
Jerry's  answer. 

"  I'm  sure  I  hope  not,"  he  said,  "  but  if  it 
does,  we  are  not  to  give  him  up  at  the  end  of 
five  years;  nor  before  five  years,  that  is  cer- 
tain." 

» 

Nettie  wiped  the  tears  away,  and  smiled  out- 
right ;  then  sat  still  in  deep  thought  for  several 
minutes.  Then  she  arose,  decision  and  energy 
on  her  face. 

"  Thank  you,  Jerry ;  I  wish  you  had  come  in 
this  morning.  I  have  been  a  goose,  I  guess, 
and  I  almost  spoiled  what  we  tried  to  do.  We'll 


198      LITTLE   FISHKBS:    AND   THEIK   NETS. 

get  np  a  nice  supper  if  you  can  get  Norm  and 
the  others  to  come.  I  don't  believe  they  will, 
but  we  can  try.  We  have  coffee  enough  to 
make  a  nice  pot  of  it,  and  Mrs.  Smith  sent  us 
some  milk  out  of  that  pail  from  the  country  that 
is  almost  cream.  I  will  make  some  baked  po- 
tato balls,  they  are  beautiful  with  fish  ;  all 
brown,  you  know ;  and  I  was  going  to  make  a 
johnny-cake  if  I  could  get  up  interest  enough  in 
it.  I'm  interested  now,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  I  staid  so,"  and  she  blushed  and  laughed. 

"  You  see,"  said  Jerry,  "  you  must  not  expect 
things  to  be  done  in  a  minute.  Why,  even  God 
doesn't  do  things  quickly,  when  he  could,  as  well 
as  not.  And  he  doesn't  get  tired  of  people, 
either ;  and  that  I  think  is  queer.  Have  you 
ever  thought  that  if  you  were  God,  you  would 
wipe  most  all  the  people  out  of  this  world  in  a 
second,  and  make  some  new  ones  who  could  be- 
have better  ?" 

"  Why,  no,"  said  Nettie,  wonderment  and  be- 
wilderment struggling  together  in  her  face,  this 
etrange  thought  sounded  almost  wicked  to  her. 

"Well,  I  do,"  said  Jerry  sturdily;  "I  have 
often  thought  of  it ;  I  believe  almost  any  man 
would  get  out  of  patience  with  this  old  world, 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         199 

full  of  rum  saloons,  and  gambling  saloons  and 
tobacco.  I  think  it  is  such  a  good  thing  that 
men  don't  have  the  management  of  it. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Nettie,  we  shall  have 
a  pretty  busy  afternoon  if  we  carry  out  our 
plans,  won't  we?  Suppose  you  go  and  talk  the 
thing  up  with  your  mother,  and  I  will  go  and 
see  what  Norm  says.  Or,  hold  on,  suppose  we 
go  together  and  call  on  him ;  I'll  ask  him  to  go 
fishing,  and  you  ask  him  to  bring  his  friends 
home  to  eat  the  fish.  How  would  that  do  ?  " 

It  was  finally  agreed  that  that  would  do 
beautifully,  and  Jerry  went  to  see  whether  his 
long  flat  stick  fitted,  while  Nettie  ran  to  her 
mother.  Mrs.  Decker  was  ironing,  her  worn 
face  looking  older  and  more  worn,  Nettie 
thought,  than  she  had  ever  seen  it  before. 
Poor  mother!  Why  had  not  she  helped  her  to 
bear  her  heavy  burden,  instead  of  almost  sulk- 
ing over  failure  ? 

"  O,  mother,"  she  began,  u  Jerry  has  a  plan, 
and  we  want  to  know  what  you  think  of  it ;  he 
has  heard  of  things  that  are  to  be  done  this 
evening."  And  she  hurried  through  the  story 
of  the  intended  frolic  on  the  island,  and  the  fish- 
ing party  that  was,  if  possible,  to  be  pushed  in 


200      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIK    NETS. 

ahead.  Mrs.  Decker  listened  in  silence,  and  at 
first  with  an  uninterested  face ;  presently,  when 
she  took  in  the  largeness  of  the  plan,  she  stayed 
her  iron  long  enough  to  look  up  and  say  : 

"  What's  the  use,  child  ?  I  thought  you  and 
Jerry  had  given  up." 

"  O,  mother,"  and  the  cheeks  were  rosy  red 
now,  "  I'm  ashamed  that  I  felt  so  discouraged ; 
Jerry  isn't  at  all ;  and  he  thinks  it  is  the  strang- 
est think  that  I  should  have  been  !  He  says  they 
.have  to  work  for  years,  sometimes,  to  get  hold 
of  people.  He  knew  a  man  that  they  kept  work- 
ing after  for  five  years,  and  now  he  is  a  grand 
man.  He  says  we  must  hold  on  to  Norm  if  it 
is  five  years,  though  I  don't  believe  it  will  be. 
I'm  going  to  begin  over  again,  mother,  and  not 
get  discouraged  at  anything.  It  is  true,  as  Jerry 
says,  that  we  can't  expect  Norm  to  reform  all 
in  a  minute.  He  says  the  boys  that  Norm  goes 
with  the  most  are  not  bad  fellows,  only  they 
haven't  any  homes,  and  they  keep  getting  into 
mischief,  because  they  have  nowhere  to  go  to 
have  any  pleasant  times.  Don't  you  think  Norm 
would  like  it  to  have  them  asked  home  with  him 
to  supper,  and  show  them  how  to  have  a  real 
good  time?  Jerry  says  the  two  boys  that  he 


PLEASUEE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         201 

means  board  at  a  horrid  place,  where  they  have 
old  bread  and  weak  tea  for  supper,  and  where 
people  are  smoking  and  drinking  in  the  back  end 
of  the  room  while  they  are  eating.  I  am  sure  I 
don't  know  as  it  is  any  wonder  that  they  go  to 
the  saloons  sometimes." 

Mrs.  Decker  still  held  her  iron  poised  in  air, 
on  her  face  a  look  that  was  worth  studying. 
"Norm  hasn't  ever  had  a  decent  place  to  ask 
anybody  to,  nor  a  decent  time  of  any  kind  since 
he  was  old  enough  to  care  much  about  it,"  she 
said  slowly.  "  I  thought  I  had  done  about  my 
best,  but  it  may  be  I'll  find  myself  mistaken. 
Well,  child,  let's  try  it,  for  mercy's  sake,  or  any- 
thing else  that  that  boy  thinks  of.  You  and  him 
together  are  the  only  ones  that's  done  any  think- 
ing for  Norm  in  years ;  and  if  I  don't  go  half- 
way and  more  too  for  anybody  that  wants  to  do 
anything,  it  will  be  a  wonder." 

In  a  very  few  minutes  Nettie  was  in  her  neat 
street  dress,  and  the  two  were  walking  down  the 
shady  side  of  the  main  street,  toward  Norm's 
shop.  They  passed  Lorena  Barstow,  and  though 
Jerry,  without  thinking,  took  off  his  cap  to  her, 
she  tossed  her  head  and  looked  the  other  way. 

Jerry  laughed.     "I  did  not  know  she  was 


202    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

so  nearsighted  as  all  that,  did  you?"  he  asked, 
and  then  continued  the  sentence  which  the  sight 
of  her  had  interruped.  Nettie  could  not  laugh ; 
she  was  sore  over  the  thought  that  she  had  so 
spoiled  Jerry's  life  for  him  that  his  old  acquaint- 
ances would  not  bow  to  him  on  the  street. 

Norm  was  at  work,  and  worked  with  energy ; 
they  stood  and  looked  at  him  through  the  win- 
dow for  a  few  minutes.  "  He  works  fast,"  said 
Jerry,  "  and  he  works  as  though  he  would  rather 
do  it  than  not ;  Mr.  Smith  says  there  isn't  a  lazy 
streak  in  him.  He  ought  to  make  a  smart  man, 
Nettie ;  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  would." 

Then  they  went  in.  To  say  that  Norm  was 
astonished  at  sight  of  them,  would  be  to  tell  only 
half  the  story.  He  stood  in  doubt  what  to  say, 
but  Jerry  was  equal  to  the  occasion  ;  nothing 
could  have  been  more  matter-of-course  than  the 
way  in  which  he  told  about  his  plans  for  going 
fishing,  declaring  that  the  afternoon  was  prime 
for  such  work,  and  that  he  was  tired  of  going 
alone.  "  Wouldn't  Norm  and  his  two  friends  go 
too  ?"  Now  a  ride  in  a  boat  was  something  that 
Norm  rarely  had.  In  the  first  place,  boats  cost 
money,  and  in  the  second  place  they  took  time. 
To  be  sure,  after  working  hours,  there  was  time 


PLEASURE    AND    DISAPPOINTMENT.         203 

enough  for  rowing,  but  boats  were  sure  to  be 
scarce  then,  even  if  money  had  been  plenty. 

Norm  wiped  his  face  with  a  corner  of  his  work- 
apron,  and  admitted  that  he  Avould  like  to  go, 
first-rate,  but  did  not  know  as  he  could  get  away. 
They  were  not  over  busy  it  was  true,  neither 
was  the  foreman  troubled  with  good  nature ;  he 
would  be  next  to  certain  to  say  no,  if  Norm 
asked  to  be  let  off  at  five  o'clock. 

"  Let's  try  him,"  said  Jerry,  and  he  walked 
boldly  to  the  other  side  of  the  room  where  the 
foreman  stood. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS. 

man  was  a  friend  of  Jerry's ;  it  was 
only  two  weeks  ago  that  he  had  done  him 
a  good  turn,  in  finding  and  bringing  home  his 
stray  cow.  He  was  perfectly  good-natured,  and 
found  no  fault  at  all  with  Norm's  leaving  the 
shop  at  five ;  in  fact  he  said  he  was  glad  to 
have  the  boy  leave  in  such  good  company. 

"  Would  the  others  go?"  Nettie  questioned 
eagerly,  and  Norm,  laughing,  said  he  reckoned 
they  would  go  quick  enough  if  they  got  a 
chance;  invitations  to  take  boat  rides  were  not 
so  plenty  that  they  could  afford  to  lose  them. 

Then  was  time  for  Nettie's  great  surprise. 

"  And,  Norm,  will  you  bring  them  all  home 
to  supper  with  you?  I'll  have  everything  ready 
to  cook  the  fish  in  a  hurry  as  soon  as  you  get 
into  the  house,  and  you  can  visit  in  the  new 
room  until  they  are  ready." 
204 


A    COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  205 

Now  indeed,  I  wish  you  could  have  seen 
Norm !  It  never  happened  to  him  before  to  have 
a  chance  to  invite  anybody  home  to  supper  with 
him.  He  looked  at  Nettie  in  silent  bewilder- 
ment for  a  minute  ;  he  even  rubbed  his  eyes  as 
though  possibly  he  might  be  dreaming  ;  but  she 
looked  so  real  and  so  trim,  and  so  sure  of  herself 
standing  there  quietly  waiting  his  answer,  that 
at  last  he  stammered  out : 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Nannie?  You  aren't  in 
dead  earnest?" 

"  Why,  of  course,"  said  Nettie,  deciding  in  a 
flash  upon  her  plan  of  action  ;  she  would  do  as 
Jerry  had,  and  take  all  this  as  a  matter  of  course. 
"  I'm  going  to  make  a  lovely  johnny-cake  for 
supper,  and  some  new-fashioned  potatoes,  and  we 
have  cream  for  the  coffee.  You  shall  have  an 
elegant  supper ;  only  be  sure  you  catch  lots  of 
fish." 

It  was  all  arranged  at  last  to  their  satisfac- 
tion, and  the  two  conspirators  turned  away  to 
get  ready  for  their  part  of  the  business. 

"  Norm  liked  it,"  said  Jerry.  "  Couldn't  you 
see  by  his  face  that  he  did  ?  I  believe  we  can 
get  hold  of  him  after  awhile,  by  doing  things  of 
this  kind ;  things  that  make  him  remember  he 


206      LITTLE   FISHEES  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

has  a  home,  and  pleasant  times,  like  other  boys." 

If  Jerry  had  waited  fifteen  minutes  he  might 
have  been  surer  of  that  even  than  he  was. 
Norm's  second  invitation  followed  hard  on  the 
first;  and  Norm,  who  felt  a  little  sore  over  cer- 
tain meannesses  of  the  night  before,  and  who 
knew  his  foreman  was  within  hearing  and  would 
be  sure  to  object  to  this  young  fellow  who  had 
come  to  ask  him  to  go  to  the  island,  answered 
loftily :  "  Can't  do  it ;  I've  promised  to  go  out 
fishing  with  a  party  ;  and  besides,  our  folks  are 
going  to  have  company  to  tea." 

Company  to  tea !  He  almost  laughed  when 
he  said  it.  How  very  strange  the  sentence 
sounded. 

"  O,  indeed,"  said  Jim  Noxen  from  the  saloon. 
"  Seems  to  me  you  are  getting  big." 

"  It  sounds  like  it,"  said  Norman.  "  I  wonder 
if  I  am?"  But  this  he  said  to  himself;  for 
answer  to  the  remark,  he  only  laughed. 

"  If  I  had  a  chance  to  keep  company  with  a 
young  fellow  like  Jerry,  and  a  trim  little  woman 
like  that  sister  of  yours,  I  guess  I  wouldn't  often 
be  found  with  the  other  set." 

This  the  foreman  said,  with  a  significant  nod 
of  his  head  toward  the  young  fellow  who  repre- 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  207 

sented  the  other  set."  And  this,  too,  had  its 
influence. 

Jerry  and  Nettie  had  a  glimpse  of  one  of 
Norm's  friends  as  they  passed  his  shop  on  their 
homeward  way. 

"  He  has  a  good  face,"  said  Nettie.  «*  Poor 
fellow!  Hasn't  he  any  home  at  all?  Don't 
you  wish  we  could  get  hold  of  him  so  close  that 
he  would  help  us  ?  He  looks  as  though  he  might." 

Then  she  stepped  into  the  boat  and  floated 
idly  around,  while  Jerry  ran  for  the  oars ;  and 
while  she  floated,  she  thought  and  planned. 
There  was  a  great  deal  to  be  done,  both  then 
and  afterwards. 

"  I  wish  you  could  go  with  us  and  catch  a  fish," 
said  Jerry,  as  he  saw  how  she  enjoyed  the  water, 
"  but  maybe  it  wouldn't  be  just  the  thing." 

"  I  know  it  wouldn't,"  said  Nettie  ;  "besides, 
who  would  make  the  johnny-cake,  and  the  po- 
tato balls?  There  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done  to 
make  things  match,  when  you  are  catching  fish.w 

The  fishing  party  was  a  complete  success. 
Jerry  said  afterwards  that  the  very  fish  acted  as 
though  they  were  in  the  secret  and  were  bound 
to  help.  He  had  never  seen  them  bite  so  readily. 
By  seven  o'clock,  the  boat  was  headed  home- 


208      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

ward,  with  more  fish  than  even  four  hungry  boys 
could  possibly  eat. 

"Now  for  supper,"  said  Norm,  who  with  se- 
cret delight  had  thought  constantly  of  the  sur- 
prise in  store  for  Alf  and  Rick.  "Boys,  I'm 
going  to  take  you  home  with  me  and  show  you 
what  a  prime  cook  my  little  sister  is.  We'll 
have  these  fish  sizzling  in  a  pan  quicker  than 
you  have  any  notion  of ;  and  she  knows  how  to 
sizzle  them  just  right;  doesn't  she,  Jerry?" 

But  Jerry  was  spared  the  trouble  of  a  reply, 
for  Alf  with  incredulous  stare  said,  "You're 
gassing  now." 

"  No,  I'm  not  gassing.  You  can  come  home 
with  me,  honor  bright,  and  you  shall  have  such 
a  supper  as  would  make  old  Ma'am  Turner 
wild." 

Old  Ma'am  Turner,  poor  soul,  was  the  woman 
who  kept  the  wretched  boarding  house  where 
these  homeless  boys  boarded,  and  she  really  did 
know  how  to  make  things  taste  a  little  worse, 
probably,  than  any  one  you  know  of. 

"  What'll  your  mother  say  to  your  bringing 
folks  home  to  supper?"  questioned  Rick,  look- 
ing as  incredulous  as  his  friend.  "  She'll  give 
us  a  hint  of  broomstick,  I  reckon,  if  we  try  it." 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  209 

"  Well,"  said  Norm,  unconcernedly,  dipping 
the  oar  into  the  water,  "  try  it  and  see,  if  you 
are  a  mind  to,  that's  all  I've  got  to  say.  I  ain't 
going  to  force  you  to  eat  fish  ;  but  I  promise 
you  a  first-class  meal  of  them  if  you  choose  to 
come." 

"Oh  !  we'll  go,"  said  Alf,  with  a  giggle;  "  if 
we  are  broomed  out  the  next  second,  we'll  try 
it,  just  to  see  what  will  come  of  it.  Things  is 
queerer  in  this  world  than  folks  think,  often ; 
now  I  didn't  believe  a  word  of  it,  when  you  said 
we  was  going  out  in  a  boat  to-night;  I  thought 
it  was  some  of  your  nonsense ;  and  here  the  lit- 
tle fellow  has  treated  us  prime." 

The  "  little  fellow "  was  Jerry,  who  smiled 
and  nodded  in  honor  of  his  compliment,  but 
said  nothing ;  he  resolved  to  let  Norm  do  the 
honors  alone. 

They  went  with  long  strides  to  the  Decker 
home,  Jerry  waiting  to  fasten  the  boat  and  pay 
his  bill.  Each  boy  carried  a  fine  string  of  fish 
of  his  own  catching  ;  and  appeared  at  the  back 
door  just  as  Nettie  came  out  to  look. 

"  O,  what  beauties !  "  she  said,  gleefully ; 
"  and  such  a  nice  lot  of  them  !  I'm  all  ready 
and  waiting.  You  go  in,  Norm,  with  your 


210    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

friends,  and  we'll  have  them  cooking  as  soon  as 
we  can." 

"  Not  much,"  said  Norm,  coming  around  to 
the  board  which  she  had  evidently  gotten  ready 
for  cleaning  the  fish,  and  diving  his  hand  in  his 
pocket  in  search  of  his  jack-knife.  "  Let's  fall 
to,  boys,  and  clean  these  fellows.  I  know  how, 
and  I  think  likely  you  do,  and  they'll  taste  the 
better,  like  enough." 

"Just  so,"  said  Rick  Walker,  who  owned  the 
face  that  Nettie  had  decided  was  a  good  one. 
"  I'm  agreeable  ;  I  know  how  to  clean  fish  as 
well  as  the  next  one ;  used  to  do  it  for  mother, 
when  I  was  a  little  shaver." 

Did  the  sentence  end  in  a  sigh,  or  did  Nettie 
imagine  it  ?  All  three  went  to  work  with  strong 
skilful  hands,  and  Nettie  hopped  back  and  forth 
bringing  fresh  water,  and  fresh  plates,  and  feel- 
ing in  her  secret  heart  very  grateful  to.  the  boys 
for  doing  this,  which  she  had  dreaded. 

They  were  all  done  in  a  very  short  time,  and 
each  boy  in  turn  had  washed  his  hands  in  the 
basin  which  shone,  and  then,  the  shining,  or  the 
smoothness  and  beautiful  cleanness  of  the  great 
brown  towel,  or  something,  prompted  Rick  to 
take  fresh  water  and  dip  his  brown  face  into  it, 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  211 

and  toss  the  water  about  like  a  great  Newfound- 
land dog. 

"  I  declare,  that  feels  good  ! "  he  said.  "  Try 
it,  Alf."  And  Alf  tried  it. 

Then  Norm  led  the  way  to  the  new  room.  It 
would  have  done  Nettie's  heart  good  if  she  had 
known  how  many  times  he  had  thought  of  that 
room  during  the  last  hour.  He  knew  it  would 
be  a  surprise  to  the  boys.  They  had  never  seen 
anything  but  the  Decker  kitchen,  and  not  much 
of  that,  standing  at  the  door  to  wait  a  minute 
for  Norm,  but  the  few  glimpses  they  had  had  of 
it,  had  not  led  them  to  suppose  that  there  was 
any  such  place  in  the  house  as  this  in  which  he 
was  now  going  to  usher  them.  Their  surprise 
was  equal  to  the  occasion.  They  stopped  in  the 
doorway,  and  looked  around  upon  the  prettiness, 
the  bright  carpet,  the  delicate  curtains,  the  gay 
chairs !  nothing  like  this  was  to  be  found  at 
Ma'am  Turner's,  nor  in  any  other  room  with 
which  they  were  familiar. 

"  Whew  ! "  said  Rick,  closing  the  word  with 
a  shrill  whistle ;  "  I  think  as  much  !  "  said  Alf. 
"  Who'd  have  dreamed  it.  I  say,  Norm,  you're 
a  sly  one ;  why  didn't  you  ever  let  on  that  you 
had  this  kind  of  thing  ?  " 


212      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

How  they  entertained  one  another  during 
that  next  hour,  Nettie  did  not  know  Eyes  and 
brain  were  occupied  in  the  kitchen.  Jerry 
came,  presently,  but  reported  that  they  were 
getting  on  all  right  in  the  front  room,  and  he 
believed  he  could  do  better  service  in  the  kitchen ; 
so  he  sat  the  table  with  a  delicate  regard  for 
nicety  which  Nettie  had  been  taught  at  Auntie 
Marshall's,  and  which  she  knew  he  had  not 
learned  at  Mrs.  Job  Smith's.  Sarah  Jane  was 
rigidly  clean,  but  never  what  Nettie  called 
"  nice." 

"  We'll  take  the  .table  in  the  front  room,"  de- 
creed Nettie  as  she  surveyed  it  thoughtfully  for 
a  few  minutes.  "  It  is  very  warm  out  here,  and 
they  will  like  it  better  to  be  quite  alone ;  we  can 
put  all  the  dishes  on,  with  the  leaves  down,  and 
set  them  in  their  places  in  a  twinkling,  after  we 
have  lifted  it  in  there.  Won't  that  be  the  way, 
mother  ?  " 

"  Land ! "  said  Mrs.  Decker,  withdrawing  her 
head  from  the  oven,  whither  it  had  gone  to  see 
after  the  new-fashioned  potato  balls,  "  I  should 
think  they  could  eat  out  here ;  you  may  depend 
they  never  saw  so  clean  a  kitchen  at  old  Ma'am 
Turner's.  But  it  is  hot  here,  and  no  mistake  ; 


A    COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  213 

and  I  should  not  know  what  to  do  with  myself 
while  they  was  eating.  Please  yourself,  child, 
and  then  I'll  be  pleased.  I'm  going  to  save  one 
of  these  potatoes  for  your  pa ;  I  never  see 
anything  in  my  life  look  prettier  than  they  do." 

Mrs.  Decker's  tones  told  much  plainer  than 
her  words,  that  she  liked  Nettie's  idea  of  put- 
ting the  table  in  the  front  room  for  Norm's  com- 
pany. She  would  not  have  owned  it,  but  her 
mother-heart  was  glad  over  a  "fuss"  being 
made  for  her  Norm. 

So  the  table  went  in ;  Jerry  at  one  end,  and 
Nettie  at  the  other.  They  hushed  a  loud  laugh 
by  their  entrance,  but  Jerry  went  immediately 
over  to  Rick  Walker  to  show  a  new-fashioned 
knife,  and  Nettie's  fingers  flew  over  the  table, 
so  by  the  time  the  knife  had  been  exhausted,  she 
was  ready  to  vanish. 

Confess  now  that  you  would  like  to  have  had 
a  seat  at  that  table  when  it  was  ready.  A  plat- 
ter of  smoking  fish,  done  to  the  nicest  brown, 
without  drying  or  burning ;  a  bowl  of  lovely 
little  brown  balls,  each  of  them  about  the  size  of 
an  egg,  a  plate  of  very  light  and  puffy-looking 
Johnny-cake,  and  to  crown  all,  coffee  that  filled 
the  room  with  such  an  aroma  as  Ma'am  Turner 


214    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  TI^EIR  NETS. 

perhaps  dreamed  of,  but  never  certainly  in  these 
days  smelled.  Mrs.  Job  Smith  at  the  last  min- 
ute had  sent  in  a  pat  of  genuine  country  butter, 
and  Sate  had  flown  to  the  grocery  for  a  piece 
of  ice  with  which  to  keep  it  in  countenance. 

Jerry  set  the  chairs,  and  Nettie  poured  the 
coffee,  and  creamed  and  sugared  it,  and  then 
slipped  away. 

She  knew  by  the  looks  on  the  faces  of  the 
guests,  that  they  were  astonished  beyond  words, 
and  she  knew  that  Norm  was  both  'astonished 
and  pleased.  There  was  another  supper  being 
made  ready  in  the  kitchen.  Mrs.  Decker  had 
herself  tugged  in  the  box  which  had  been  lately 
set  up  as  a  washbench,  and  spread  the  largest 
towel  over  it,  and  was  serving  three  lovely  fish, 
and  a  bowl  of  potato  balls  for  "Decker"  and  her- 
self. 

"  I  guess  I'm  going  to  have  company  too,"  she 
said  to  Nettie,  her  face  beaming.  "  Your  pa  has 
gone  to  wash  up,  and  I  thought  seeing  there  was 
only  two  chairs,  and  two  plates  left,  you  wouldn't 
mind  having  him  and  me  sit  down  together,  for 
a  meal,  first." 

"  Yes,  T  do  mind,"  said  Nettie ;  "  I  think  it  is 
a  lovely  plan;  I'm  so  glad  you  thought  of  it, 


A   COMPLETE    8UCCES8.  215 

and  Jerry  and  I  will  keep  watch  that  they  have 
everything  in  the  other  room,  while  you  eat." 
If  you  are  wondering  in  your  hearts  where  those 
important  beings,  Sate  and  Susie,  were  at  this 
moment,  I  should  have  told  you  before,  that 
Sarah  Jane  had  a  brilliant  thought,  but  an  hour 
before,  and  carried  them  out  to  tea.  So  all  the 
Decker  family  were  visiting  that  evening,  save 
Nettie,  and  I  think  perhaps  she  was  the  happi- 
est among  them  all.  Every  time  she  heard  a 
burst  of  fresh  fun  from  the  front  room,  she 
laughed,  too  ;  it  was  so  nice  to  think  that  Norm 
was  having  a  good  time  in  his  own  home,  and 
nothing  to  worry  over. 

It  is  almost  a  pity  that,  for  her  encourage- 
ment, she  could  not  have  heard  some  of  the  con- 
versation in  that  room. 

"  I  say,  Norm,"  said  his  friend  Alf,  his  tones 
muffled  by  reason  of  a  large  piece  of  johnny- 
cake,  "  what  an  awful  sly  fellow  you  are !  You 
never  let  on  that  you  had  these  kind  of  doings 
in  your  house.  Who'd  have  thought  that  you 
had  a  stunning  room  like  this  for  folks,  and  po- 
tatoes done  up  in  brown  satin,  to  eat,  and  coffee 
such  as  they  get  up  at  the  hotels !  It  beats  aU 
creation ! " 


216      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"  That's  so,"  said  Rick,  taking  in  a  'quarter  of 
a  fish  at  one  mouthful,  "  I  never  dreamed  of  such 
.a  thing ;  what  beats  me,  is,  why  a  fellow  who 
has  such  nice  doings  at  home,  wants  to  loaf 
around,  and  spend  evenings  at  Beck's,  or  at 
Steen's.  Hang  me  if  I  don't  think  the  contrast 
a  little  too  great.  'Pears  to  me  if  I  had  this 
kind  of  thing,  I  should  like  to  enjoy  it  oftener 
than  Norm  seems  to." 

Norman  smiled  loftily  on  them.  Do  you 
think  he  was  going  to  own  that  "  this  kind  of 
thing  "  had  never  been  enjoyed  in  his  home  be- 
fore, during  all  the  years  of  his  recollection? 
Not  he ;  he  only  said  that  folks  liked  a  change 
once  in  awhile,  of  course,  and  he  only  laughed 
when  Rick  and  Alf  both  declared  that  if  they 
knew  themselves,  and  they  thought  they  did, 
they  would  be  content  never  to  change  back 
from  this  kind  of  thing  to  Ma'am  Turner's  sup- 
per table  so  long  as  they  lived. 

How  those  boys  did  eat !  Nettie  owned  to 
herself  that  she  was  astonished  ;  and  privately 
rejoiced  that  she  had  made  four  johnny-cakes 
instead  of  three,  though  it  had  seemed  almost 
extravagant  until  she  remembered  that  it  would 
warm  up  nicely  for  breakfast.  Not  a  crumb 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  217 

• 

would  there  be  for  breakfast.  She  had  one  re- 
gret and  she  told  it  to  Jerry  as  she  went  out  to 
him  on  the  back  stoop,  having  poured  the  third 
cup  of  coffee  around,  for  the  three  in  the  front 
room. 

"Jerry,  I  am  just  afraid  there  won't  be  a 
speck  of  johnny-cake  left  for  you  to  taste. 
Those  boys  do  eat  so  !  " 

"  Never  mind,"  laughed  Jerry.  "  We  will  eat 
the  tail  of  a  fish,  if  any  of  them  have  a  tail  left, 
and  rejoice  over  our  success ;  this  thing  is  go- 
ing to  work,  I  believe,  if  we  can  keep  it  going." 

"  That's  the  trouble,"  said  Nettie,  an  anxious 
look  in  her  eyes.  "  How  can  we  ?  Fish  won't  do 
every  time  ;  and  there  are  no  other  things  that 
you  can  catch.  Besides,  even  this  has  cost  a 
great  deal.  I  paid  eight  cents  for  lard  to  fry 
the  fish,  and  the  butter  and  milk  and  things 
would  have  cost  as  much  as  fifteen  cents  cer- 
tainly. Mrs.  Smith  furnished  them  this  time, 
but  of  course  such  things  won't  happen  again." 

"A  great  many  things  happen,"  said  Jerry, 
-wisely.  "  More  than  you  can  calculate  on. 
'  Never  cross  a  bridge  until  you  come  to  it,  my 
boy.'  Didn't  I  tell  you  that  was  what  my  father 
was  always  saying  to  me?  I  have  found  it  a 


218    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

good  plan,  too,  to  follow  his  advice.  Many  a 
time  I've  worried  over  troubles  that  never  came. 
Look  here,  don't  you  believe  that  if  we  are  to  do 
this  thing  and  good  is  to  come  from  it,  we  shall 
be  able  to  manage  it  somehow  ?  " 

"  Why,  y-e-s,"  said  Nettie,  slowly,  as  though 
she  were  waiting  to  see  whether  her  faith  could 
climb  so  high  ;  "  I  suppose  that  is  so." 

"  Well,  if  good  isn't  going  to  come  of  it,  do 
we  want  to  do  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not." 

•» 

"  All  right,  then,"  with  a  little  laugh.  "  What 
are  we  talking  about?"  And  Nettie  laughed, 
and  ran  in  to  give  her  father  his  last  cup  of  cof- 
fee, and  to  hear  him  say  that  he  hadn't  had  so 
good  a  meal  in  six  years. 

It  was  a  curious  fact  that  Susie  and  Sate  were 
the  chief  movers  in  the  next  thing  that  these 
young  Fishers  did  to  interest  the  particular 
fish  whom  they  were  after. 

It  began  the  next  Sabbath  morning  in  Sab- 
bath-school. There,  the  little  girls  heard  with 
deep  interest  that  on  the  following  Sabbath 
there  was  to  be  a  service  especially  for  the  chil- 
dren. A  special  feature  of  the  day  was  to  be 
the  decoration  of  the  church  with  flowers,  which 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  219 

the  children  were  to  bring  on  the  previous  Sat- 
urday. Susie  and  Sate  promised  with  the  rest, 
that  they  would  bring  flowers.  Promised  in  the 
confident  expectation  of  childhood  that  some 
way  they  could  join  the  others  and  do  as  they 
did;  though  both  little  girls  knew  that  not  a 
flower  grew  in  or  about  them.  During  the 
early  part  of  the  week  they  forgot  it,  but  on 
Saturday  morning  they  stood  in  the  little  front 
yard  and  saw  a  sight  which  recalled  all  the  de- 
lights of  the  coming  Sunday  in  which  they 
seemed  to  be  having  no  share.  The  little  girls 
from  the  Orphanage  on  the  hill  were  bringing 
their  treasures.  Even  fat  little  Karl  who  was 
only  five,  had  a  potted  plant  in  full  bloom,  which 
he  was  proudly  carrying.  Little  Dutch  Maggie, 
in  her  queer  long  apron,  carried  a  plant  with 
lovely  satiny  leaves  which  were  prettier  than 
any  bloom,  and  behind  her  was  Robert  the 
Scotch  gardener  with  his  arms  full ;  then  young 
Rob  Severn,  Miss  Wheeler's  nephew,  had  a  lovely 
fuchsia  just  aglow  with  blossoms,  and  Miss 
Wheeler  herself,  who  was  the  matron  at  the  Or- 
phanage, was  carrying  a  choice  plant.  All  these 
the  hungry  eyes  of  Sate  and  Susie  took  in,  as 
the  procession  passed  the  house,  then  they  ran 


220      LITTLE    FISHERS  :    AND    THEIE   NETS. 

wailing  to  Nettie  who  had  already  become  the 
long  suffering  person  to  whom  they  must  pour 
out  their  woes. 

"  We  promised,  we  did,"  explained  Sate,  her 
earnest  eyes  fixed  on  Nettie,  while  her  arms 
clasped  that  young  lady  just  as  she  was  in  the 
act  of  throwing  out  her  dishwater.  "We  did 
promise,  and  they  will  'spect  them,  and  they 
won't  be  there." 

"  Well,  but,  darling,  what  made  you  promise, 
when  you  knew  we  had  no  flowers  ?  Mrs.  Smith 
would  give  you  some  in  a  minute  if  hers  were  in 
bloom.  Why  didn't  they  wait  a  little  later,  I 
wonder?  Then  Mrs.  Smith  could  have  given 
us  such  lovely  china-asters." 

"  We  must  have  some  to-morrow,"  said  the 
emphatic  Susie,  and  she  fastened  her  black  eyes 
on  Nettie  in  a  way  that  said  :  "  Now  you  under- 
stand what  must  be,  I  hope  you  will  at  once  set 
about  bringing  it  to  pass." 

Nettie  could  not  help  laughing.  "  If  you  were 
a  fairy  queen,"  she  said,  "and  could  wave  your 
wand  and  say, '  Flowers,  bloom,'  and  they  would 
obey  you,  we  should  certainly  have  some  ;'as  it 
is,  I  don't  quite  see  how  they  are  to  be  had.  We 
have  no  friends  to  ask." 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  221 

"I  can't  help  it,"  said  Susie,  positively,  "we 
promised  to  bring  some,  and  of  course  we  must. 
You  said,  Nettie  Decker,  that  we  must  always 
keep  our  promises." 

"Now,  Miss  Nettie  Decker,  you  are  con- 
demned ! "  said  Jerry,  with  grave  face  but  laugh- 
ing eyes;  "something  must  evidently  be  done 
about  this  business.  Dandelions  are  gone,  ex- 
cept the  whiteheads,  and  they  would  blow  away 
before  they  got  themselves  settled  in  church,  I 
am  afraid.  Hold  on,  I  have  a  thought,  just  a 
splendid  one  if  I  can  manage  it ;  wait  a  bit, 
Susie,  and  we  will  see  what  AVC  can  do." 

Susie,  who  was  beginning  to  have  full  faith  in 
this  wise  friend  of  theirs,  told  Sate  in  confidence 
that  they^were  going  to  have  some  flowers  to 
take  to  church,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  them  ;  she 
did  not  know  what  Jerry  was  going  to  make 
them  out  of,  but  she  knew  he  would  make  some. 

After  that,  Jerry  was  not  seen  again  for  sev- 
eral hours.  In  fact  it  was  just  as  the  dinner 
dishes  Avere  washed,  that  he  appeared  with  a 
triumphant  face.  "Have  you  made  some?" 
asked  Sate,  springing  up  from  her  dolly  and  go- 
ing toward  him  expectantly. 

"  Made  some  what,  Curly  ?  " 


222      LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AJ*D    THEIR   NETS.       . 

"Flowers,"  said  Sate,  gravely.  "Susie  said 
she  knew  you  would." 

Jerry  laughed.  "  Susie  has  boundless  faith  in 
impossibilities,"  he  said.  "  No,  I  haven't  made 
the  flowers,  but  I  have  the  boat.  That  old 
thing  that  leaked  so,  you  know,  Nettie;  well, 
I've  put  it  in  prime  order,  and  got  permission 
to  use  it,  and  if  you  and  the  chicks  will  come, 
we  will  sail  away  to  where  they  make  flowers, 
and  pick  all  we  want ;  unless  some  wicked  fairy 
has  whispered  my  bright  thought  to  somebody 
else,  and  I  don't  believe  it,  for  I  have  seen  no 
one  out  on  the  pond  to-day." 

^Then  Sate,  her  eyes  very  large,  went  in  search 
of  Susie  to  tell  her  that  this  wonderful  boy.  had 
come  to  take  them  where  flowers  were  made, 
and  to  let  them  gather  for  themselves. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  heaven,"  said  Sate,  gravely, 
"  because  the  real  truly  flowers,  you  know,  God 
makes,  and  he  has  his  things  all  up  in  heaven  to 
work  with,  I  guess." 

"  What  a  little  goosie  you  are  !  "  said  Susie, 
curling  her  wise  lip ;  "  as  if  Jerry  Mack  could 
take  us  to  heaven  ! " 

However,  she  went  at  once  to  see  about  it, 
and  was  almost  as  much  astonished  to  think 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  223 

•  • 

that  they  were  really  going  out  in  a  boat,  as  she 
would  have  been  if  they  were  going  to  heaven. 
"  I  s'pose  it's  safe  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Decker  doubtfully, 
watching  the  light  in  the  little  girls'  eyes,  and 
remembering  how  few  pleasures  had  been  of- 
fered them. 

"O,  yes'm,"  said  Jerry,  "as  safe  as  the  road. 
I  could  row  a  boat,  ma'am,  very  well  indeed, 
father  said,  when  I  was  six  years  old  ;  and  you 
couldn't  coax  that  clumsy  old  thing  to  tip  over, 
if  you  wanted  it  to  ;  and  if  it  should,  the  water 
isn't  up  to  my  waist  anywhere  in  the  pond." 

Mrs.  Decker  laughed,  and  said  it  sounded 
safe  enough  ;  and  went  back  to  her  ironing,  and 
the  four  happy  people  sailed  away.  If  not  to 
where  the  pond  lilies  were  made,  at  least  to  where 
they  grew  in  all  their  wild  sweet  beauty. 

"How  very  strange,"  said  Nettie,  as  they 
leaned  over  the  great  rude,  flat-bottomed  boat 
and  pulled  the  beauties  in  ;  "  how  very  strange 
that  no  one  has  gathered  these  for  to-morrow. 
Why,  nothing  could  be  more  lovely !" 

"  Well,"  said  Jerry,  "  only  a  few  people  row 
this  way,  because  it  isn't  the  pleasantest  part  of 
the  pond,  you  know,  for  rowing;  and  I  guess 
no  one  has  remembered  that  the  lilies  were  out; 


224      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

» 

there  don't  many  people,  only  fishermen,  go  out 
on  this  pond,  you  know,  because  the  boats  are 
so  ugly  ;  arid  fishermen  don't  care  for  flowers,  I 
guess.  Anyhow,  they  haven't  been  here,  for 
the  buds  are  all  on  hand,  just  as  I  thought  they 
would  be  by  this  time,  when  I  was  here  on  Tues- 
day. But  I  never  thought  of  the  church;  so 
you  see  how  little  thinking  is  done." 

Well,  they  gathered  great  loads  of  the  beau- 
ties, and  rowed  home  in  triumph,  and  put  the 
lilies  in  a  tub  of  water,  and  sat  down  to  consider 
how  best  to  arrange  them.  It  was  curious  that 
Mrs.  Job  Smith  should  have  been  the  next  one 
with  an  idea. 

"I  should  think,"  she  said,  standing  in  the 
doorway  of  her  kitchen,  her  hands  on  her  sides, 
"  I  should  think  a  great  big  salver  of  them  laid 
around  in  their  own  leaves,  would  be  the  pretti- 
est thing  in  the  world." 

"  So  it  would,"  said  Nettie,  "  the  very  thing, 
if  we  only  had  the  salver." 

"  Well,  I've  got  that.  Mrs.  Sims,  she  gave 
me  an  old  battered  and  bruised  one,  when  they 
were  moving.  It  is  big  enough  to  put  all  the 
cups  and  saucers  on  in  town,  almost ;  when  I 
lugged  it  home,  Job,  he  wanted  to  know  what 


A   COMPLETE    SUCCESS.  225 

on  earth  I  wanted  of  that,  and  says  I,  I  don't 
know,  but  she  give  it  to  me,  and  most  every- 
thing in  this  world  comes  good,  if  you  keep  it 
long  enough.  Sarah  Ann,  you  run  up  to  the 
corner  in  the  back  garret  and  get  that  thing,  and 
see  what  they'll  make  of  it." 
So  Sarah  Ann  ran. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AN   UNEXPECTED    HELPEB. 

|_)ERHAPS   you   do  not  see  how  the  pond 

lilies,  lovely  as  they  were,  arranged    on 

that  salver,  helped  Jerry  and   Nettie   in  their 

plans  for  Norm  and  his  friends.     But  there  is 

another  part  to  that  story. 

After  the  salver  had  been  filled  with  sand, 
and  covered  with  moss,  and  soaked  until  it 
would  absorb  no  more  water,  and  the  lilies 
had  been  laid  in  so  thickly  that  they  looked 
like  a  great  white  bank  of  bloom,  the  whole 
was  lovely,  as  I  said,  but  heavy.  The  walk  to 
the  church  was  long,  and  Nettie,  thinking  of  it, 
surveyed  her  finished  work  with  a  grave  face. 
How  was  it  ever  to  be  gotten  to  the  church? 
She  tried  to  lift  one  end  of  it,  and  shook  her 
head.  There  was  no  hope  that  she  could  even 
help  carry  it  for  so  long  a  distance.  Mrs.  Smith 
saw  the  trouble  in  her  eyes,  and  guessed  at  its 
226 


A.X   UNEXPECTED    HELPER.  227 

cause.  "It  is  an  awful  heavy  thing,  that's  a 
fact,"  she  said,  "  hefting  "  it  in  her  strong  arms ; 
"  I  don't  know  how  you  are  going  to  manage  it ; 
Sarah  Jane  would  help  in  a  minute,  but  there's 
her  back ;  she  ain't  got  no  back  to  speak  of,  Sarah 
Jane  hasn't.  And  there's  Job,  he  ain't  at  home ; 
he  went  this  morning  before  it  was  light,  away 
over  the  other  side  of  the  clip  hill  with  a  load, 
and  the  last  words  he  says  to  me  was:  'Don't 
you  be  scairt  if  I  don't  get  round  very  early ; 
them  roads  over  there  is  dreadful  heavy,  and  I 
shall  have  to  rest  the  team  in  the  heat  of  the 
day,'  and  like  enough  he  won't  get  back  till  nigh 
ten  o'clock." 

Certainly  no  help  could  be  expected  from  the 
Smith  family.  "  We  shall  have  to  take  some 
of  the  sand  out, "  said  Nettie,  surveying  the 
mound  regretfully ;  "  I'm  real  sorry ;  it  does 
look  so  pretty  heaped  up  !  but  Jerry  can  never 
carry  it  away  down  there  alone." 

Then  came  Jerry's  bright  idea.  "I'll  get 
Norman  to  help  me." 

"  Norm !  "  said  Nettie,  stopping  astonished  in 
the  very  act  of  picking  out  some  of  the  lilies.  It 
had  not  once  occurred  to  her  that  Norm  could  be 
asked  to  go  to  the  church  on  an  errand.  She 


228    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

couldn't  have  told  why,  but  Norm  and  the 
church  seemed  too  far  apart  to  have  anything 
in  common. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jerry,  positively.  "  Why  not  ? 
I  know  he'll  help ;  and  he  and  I  can  carry  it 
like  a  daisy.  Don't  take  out  one  of  them, 
Nettie.  I  know  you  will  spoil  it  if  you  touch 
it  again ;  it  is  just  perfect.  Halloo,  Norm, 
come  this  way." 

Sure  enough  at  that  moment  Norm  appeared 
from  the  attic  where  he  slept ;  he  had  washed 
his  face  and  combed  his  hair,  and  made  himself 
as  decent  looking  as  he  could,  and  was  starting 
for  somewhere  ;  and  Nettie  remembered  with  a 
sinking  heart  that  it  was  Saturday  night ; 
Norm's  worst  night  except  Sunday. 

He  stopped  at  Jerry's  call,  and  stood  waiting. 

"You  are  just  the  individual  I  wanted  to  see 
at  this  moment,"  said  Jerry  with  a  confident 
air.  "This  meadow  here  has  got  to  be  dug  up 
and  carried  bodily  down  to  the  church  ;  and  it  is 
as  heavy  as  though  its  roots  were  struck  deep  in 
the  soil.  Will  you  shoulder  an  end  with  me  ?  " 

"  To  the  church  !  "  repeated  Norm  with  an 
incredulous  stare.  "  What  do  they  want  of  that 
thing  at  the  church  ?  " 


AN   UNEXPECTED   HELPER.  229 

"  They  are  our  flowers,"  said  Sate  with  a  posi- 
tive little  nod  of  her  head.  "  We  promised  to 
bring  them,  and  they  are  so  big  and  heavy  we 
can't.  Will  you  help  ?  " 

Now  Norm  had  really  a  very  warm  feeling  in 
his  heart  for  this  small  sister ;  Susie  he  consid- 
ered a  nuisance,  and  a  vixen,  but  Sate  with  her 
slow  sweet  voice,  and  shy  ways,  had  several 
times  slipped  behind  his  chair  to  escape  a  slap 
from  her  angry  father,  thus  appealing  to  his 
protection,  and  once  when  he  lifted  her  over  the 
fence,  she  kissed  him ;  he  was  rather  willing  to 
please  Sate.  Then  there  was  Jerry  who  was  a 
good  fellow  as  ever  lived,  and  Nettie  who  was 
a  prime  girl ;  why  shouldn't  he  help  tote  the 
thing  down  to  the  church  if  that  was  what  they 
wanted?  To-be  sure  he  wanted  to  go  in  the 
other  direction,  and  the  fellows  would  be  wait- 
ing, he  supposed  ;  but  he  could  go  there,  after- 
wards, let  them  wait  until  he  came. 

"  Well,"  he  said  at  last,  "  come  on,  I'll  help ; 
though  what  they  want  of  all  this  rubbish  at 
the  church  is  more  than  I  can  imagine."  And 

0 

Nettie  and  the  little  girls  stood  with  satisfied 
faces  watching  the  two  move  off  under  their 
heavy  burden.  It  was  something  to  have  Norm 


280     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIK  NETS. 

go  to  church  if   it   was  only  to  carry  flowers. 

Arrived  at  the  door,  Norm  was  seized  with  a 
fit  of  shyness ;  the  doors  were  thrown  wide 
open,  and  ladies  and  children  were  flitting  about, 
and  many  tongues  were  going,  and  flowers  and 
vines  were  being  festooned  around  the  gas 
lights,  and  the  pillars,  and  wherever  there  was 
a  spot  for  them. 

"Hold  on,"  said  Norm,  jerking  back,  thus 
putting  the  great  salver  in  eminent  peril,  "  I 
ain't  going  in  there ;  all  the  village  is  there ;  you 
better  pitch  this  rubbish  out,  they've  got  flowers 
enough." 

"  There  isn't  a  lily  among  them,"  said  Jerry. 
"  And  besides  they  have  to  go  in,  anyhow,  we 
can't  afford  to  disappoint  Sate.  Come  on,  Norm, 
I  can't  carry  the  thing  alone,  any  more  than  I 
could  the  stove ;  it  is  unaccountably  heavy." 

This  was  true,  but  Jerry  was  very  glad  that 
it  was.  He  had  his  reasons  for  wanting  to  get 
Norm  down  the  aisle  to  the  front  of  the  pulpit. 
With  very  reluctant  feet  Norm  followed,  bear- 
ing his  share  of  the  burden,  his  face  flushing 
over  the  exclamations  with  which  they  were  at 
last  greeted. 

"Oh,  oh!  pond  lilies!  I  did  not  know  there 


AN    UNEXPECTED    HELPEE.  231 

were  any  this  year.  Where  did  you  get  them  ? 
Girls,  look!  Did  you  ever  see  anything  more 
lovely?  "And  a  group  of  faces  were  gathered 
about  the  tray,  and  one  brown  head  went  down 
among  the  lilies  and  caressed  them. 

"  Where  did  you  get  them  ?  "  she  repeated ;  "  I 
asked  my  cousin  if  there  were  any  about  here, 
and  she  said  she  thought  not ;  and  last  night 
when  I  was  out  on  the  pond  I  looked  and  could 
not  find  any."  # 

"  They  hide,"  said  Jerry.  "  The  only  place 
on  the  pond  where  they  can  be  found  is  down 
behind  the  old  mill ;  and  most  people  don't  go 
there  at  all,  because  the  channel  is  so  narrow, 
and  the  water  so  shallow." 

"Well,  we  are  so  glad  you  brought  them! 
Girls,  aren-'t  they  too  lovely  for  anything  ?  Who 
arranged  them?" 

"  My  sister,"  said  Norm,  to  whom  Jerry 
promptly  turned  with  an  air  which  said  as 
plainly  as  words  could  have  done:  "You  are 
the  one  to  answer ;  she  belongs  to  you." 

"And  who  is  that?"  asked  the  owner  of  the 
pretty  brown  head,  as  she  made  way  for  them 
to  pass  to  the  table  with  their  burden.  "  I  am 
sure  I  would  like  to  know  her ;  for  she  certainly 


232    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

knows  how  to  put  flowers  into  lovely  shapes." 
Then  came  from  behind  the  desk  a  man 
whom  Jerry  knew  and  whom  he  had  seen  while 
he  stood  at  the  door.  "  Good  evening,  Jerry," 
he  said,  holding  out  his  hand  in  a,  cordial  way. 
"What  a  wonderful  bank  of  beauty  you  have 
brought !  Introduce  me  to  your  helper,  please." 
"Mr.  Sherrill,  Mr.  Norman  Decker,"  said 
Jerry,  exactly  as  though  he  had  been  used  to 
introducing  people  all  Ms  life;  and  Norm,  his 
face  very  red,  knew  that  he  was  shaking  hands 
with  the  new  minister.  A  very  cordial  hand- 
shake, certainly,  and  then  the  minister  turning 
to  her  of  the  brown  head,  said,  "  Eva,  come  here ; 
let  me  introduce  you  to  Mr.  Norman  Decker. 
My  sister,  Mr.  Decker." 

Norm,  hardly  knowing  what  he  was  about, 
contrived  another  bow,  and  then  Miss  Eva  said, 
"  Decker,  why,  that  is  the  name  of  my  two  little 
darlings  about  whom  I  have  been  telling  you 
for  two  Sabbaths.  Are  they  your  little  sisters, 
Mr.  Decker?  Little  Sate  and  Susie?"  And  as 
Norm  managed  to  nod  an  answer,  she  continued  : 
"  They  have  stolen  my  heart  utterly  ;  that  little 
Sate  is  the  dearest  little  thing.  By  the  way,  I 
wonder  if  these  are  her  flowers  ?  She  promised 


AN    UNEXPECTED    HELPER.  233 

me  she  would  certainly  get  some ;  she  said  they 
had  none  in  their  garden,  but  God  would  make 
some  grow  for  her  somewhere  she  guessed." 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Jerry,  seeing  that  Norm  would 
not  speak,  "  they  are  her  flowers,  hers  and 
Susie's,  they  coaxed  us  to  go  for  them." 

"  Decker,"  said  the  minister,  suddenly,  "  you 
are  pretty  tall,  I  wonder  if  you  are  not  just  the 
one  to  help  me  get  this  wreath  fastened  back  of 
the  pulpit?  I  have  been  working  at  it  for  some 
time,  and  failed  for  the  want  of  an  arm  long 
enough  and  strong  enough  to  help  me."  And 
the  two  disappeared  behind  the  desk  up  the 
pulpit  stairs  to  the  immense  satisfaction  of  Jerry. 
The  ladies  went  on  with  their  work ;  Miss 
Eva  calling  to  him  to  help  her  move  the  table, 
and  then  to  help  arrange  the  salver  on  it,  and 
then  to  bring  more  vines  from  the  lecture  room 
to  cover  the  base  of  the  floral  cross  ;  and  indeed, 
before  they  knew  it,  both  Jerry  and  Norm  were 
in  the  thick  of  the  engagement ;  Jerry  flitting 
hither  and  thither  at  the  call  of  the  girls,  and 
Norm  following  the  minister  from  point  to 
point,  and  using  his  long  limbs  to  good  advan- 
tage. 

"Well,"   he  said,  wiping  his  face  with  his 


234    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

coat  sleeve,  as,  more  than  an  hour  after  their 
entrance,  he  and  Jerry  made  their  way  down 
the  churchyard  walk,  "that  is  the  greatest  snarl 
I  ever  got  into.  How  that  fellow  can  work ! 
But  he  would  never  have  got  them  things  up  in 
the  world,  if  I  had  not  been  there  to  help  him." 

"  No,"  said  Jerry  "  I  don't  believe  he  would. 
How  glad  they  were  to  get  the  lilies !  They  do 
look  prettier  than  anything  there.  I  did  not 
know  who  that  lady  was  who  taught  the  little 
folks.  She  has  only  been  there  a  few  weeks. 
She  is  pretty,  isn't  she  ?  " 

"  I  s'pose  so,"  said  Norm,  "  her  voice  is,  any- 
how. They  say  she's  a  singer.  I  heard  the 
fellows  down  at  the  corner  talking  about  her 
one  night ;  Dick  Welsh  says  she  can  mimic  a 
bird  so  you  couldn't  tell  which  was  which.  I 
wouldn't  mind  hearing  her  sing.  I  like  good 
singing." 

"I  suppose  they  will  have  her  sing  in  the 
church,"  said  Jerry  in  a  significant  tone.  But 
to  this,  Norm  made  no  reply. 

"  What  was  it  Mr.  Sherrill  wanted  of  you 
just  as  we  were  coming  out?"  asked  Jerry, 
after  reflecting  whether  he  had  better  ask  the 
question  or  not. 


AN   UNEXPECTED   HELPEB.  235 

"  Wanted  me  to  come  and  see  how  the  things 
looked  in  the  daytime,"  said  Norm  with  an 
awkward  laugh  that  ended  in  a  half  sneer; 
"I'll  be  likely  to  I  think!" 

"  Going  up  home,  I  s'pose  ?  "  said  Jerry,  try- 
ing to  speak  indifferently,  and  slipping  his  hand 
through  Norm's  arm  as  they  reached  the  corner, 
and  Norm  half  halted. 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  might  as  well,"  Norm 
said,  allowing  himself  to  be  drawn  on  by  never 
BO  slight  a  pressure  from  Jerry's  arm.  "  I  was 
going  down  street,  and  the  boys  were  to  wait 
for  me ;  but  they  have  never  waited  all  this 
while ;  it  must  be  considerable  after  nine 
o'clock." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jerry,  *'  it  is<"  And  they  went 
home. 

Nettie,  sitting  on  the  doorstep,  waiting,  will 
never  forget  that  night,  nor  the  sinking  of 
heart  with  which  she  waited.  Her  father  had 
been  kept  at  home,  first  by  his  employer  who 
came  to  give  directions  about  work  to  be  at- 
tended to  the  first  thing  on  Monday  morning, 
and  then  by  Job  Smith  getting  home  before  he 
was  expected  and  asking  a  little  friendly  help 
with  the  load  he  brought ;  and  he  had  at  last 


286    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIE  NETS. 

decided  that  it  was  too  late  to  go  out  again,  and 
had  gone  to  bed.  Mrs.  Decker  in  her  kitchen, 
hovered  between  the  door  and  the  window, 
peering  out  into  the  lovely  night,  saying  noth- 
ing, but  her  heart  throbbing  so  with  anxiety 
about  her  boy  that  she  could  not  lay  her  tired 
body  away.  Mrs.  Job  Smith  in  her  kitchen, 
looked  from  her  door  and  then  her  window, 
many  misgivings  in  her  heart ;  if  that  bad  boy 
Norm  should  lead  her  good  boy  Jerry  into  mis- 
chief what  should  she  say  to  his  father  ?  How 
could  she  ever  forgive  herself  for  having  en- 
couraged the  intimacy  between  him  and  the 
Deckers  ? 

Presently,  far  down  the  quiet  street  came  the 
sound  of  cheery  whistling;  Nettie  knew  the 
voice  :  nothing  so  very  bad  could  have  happened 
when  Jerry  was  whistling  like  that ;  or  was  he 
perhaps  doing  it  to  keep  his  courage  up  ?  The 
whistle  turned  the  corner,  and  in  the  dim  star- 
light she  could  distinguish  .two  figures;  they 
came  on  briskly,  Jerry  and  Norm.  "A  nice  job 
you  set  us  at,"  began  Jerry,  gayly,  "  we  have 
just  this  minute  got  through  ;  and  here  it  is 
toward  morning  somewhere,  isn't  it?"  Then 
all  that  happy  company  went  to  their  beds. 


AN    UNEXPECTED    HELPER,  237 

After  dinner  the  next  day,  Nettie  studied  if 
there  were  not  ways  in  which  she  might  coax 
Norm  to  go  to  church  that  evening.  Jerry  had 
told  her  of  the  minister's  invitation.  Norm  had 
slept  later  than  usual  that  morning,  and  lounged 
at  home  until  after  dinner;  now  he  was  prepar- 
ing to  go  out.  How  could  she  keep  him?  How 
could  she  coax  him  to  go  with  her? 

Before  she  could  decide  what  to  do  to  try  to 
hold  him,  Susie  took  matters  into  her  own 
hands  by  pitching  head  foremost  out  of  the 
kitchen  window,  hitting  her  head  on  the  stones. 
Then  there  was  hurry  and  confusion  in  the 
Decker  kitchen !  Then  did  Mrs.  Smith,  and 
Job  Smith,  and  Sarah  Jane  fly  to  the  rescue. 
Though  after  all,  Norm  was  the  one  who  stooped 
over  poor  silent  Susie  and  brought  her  limp  and 
apparently  lifeless  into  the  kitchen.  Jerry  ran 
with  all  speed  for  the  doctor.  It  was  hours 
before  they  settled  down  again,  having  discov- 
ered that  Susie  was  not  dead,  but  had  fainted  ; 
was  not  even  badly  hurt,  save  for  a  bump  or  two. 
But  it  took  the  little  lady  only  a  short  time, 
after  recovering  from  her  fright,  to  discover 
that  she  was  a  person  of  importance,  and  to 
like  the  situation. 


£38      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

It  happened  that  Norm  had,  by  the  doctor's 
directions,  carried  her  from  her  mother's  bed  to 
the  cooler  atmosphere  of  the  front  room.  Susie 
had  enjoyed  the  ride,  and  now  announced  with 
the  air  of  a  conqueror,  "I  want  Norm  to  carry 
me."  So  Norm,  frightened  into  love  and  ten- 
derness, lifted  the  little  girl  in  his  strong  arms,  laid 
the  pretty  head  on  his  shoulder,  and  willingly 
tramped  up  and  down  the  room.  Was  Susie  a 
witch,  or  a  selfish  little  girl?  Certain  it  was 
that  during  that  walk  she  took  an  unaccounta- 
ble and  ever  increasing  fancy  for  Norm.  He 
must  wet  the  brown  paper  on  her  head  as  often 
4s  the  vinegar  with  which  it  was  saturated  dried 
away ;  he  must  hold  the  cup  while  she  took  a 
drink  of  water;  he  must  push  the  marvel  of  a 
barrel  chair  in  which  she  for  a  time  sat  in  state, 
closer  to  the  window ;  he  must  carry  her  from 
the  chair  to  the  table  when  supper  was  finally 
ready,  and  carry  her  back  again  when  it  was 
eaten.  Nettie  looked  on  amused  and  puzzled. 
Certainly  Susie  had  kept  Norm  at  home  all  the 
afternoon  ;  but  was  she  also  likely  to  accomplish 
it  for  the  evening?  For  Norm,  to  her  great 
surprise,  seemed  to  like  the  new  order  of 
things. 


AN   UNEXPECTED    HELPEB.  239 

He  blushed  awkwardly  when  Susie  gently 
pushed  her  mother  aside  and  demanded  Norm, 
but  he  came  at  once,  with  a  good-natured  laugh, 
and  held  her  in  his  arms  with  as  much  gentle- 
ness and  more  strength  than  the  mother  could 
have  given;  and  seemed  to  like  the  touch  of  the 
curly  head  on  his  shoulder. 

But  while  Nettie  was  putting  away  the  dishes 
and  puzzling  over  all  the  strange  events  of  the 
afternoon,  Susie  was  undressed,  partly  by  Norm, 
according  to  her  decree,  and  fell  asleep  in  his 
arms  and  was  laid  on  her  mother's  bed,  and 
Norm  slipped  away! 

Poor  Nettie !  She  ran  to  the  door  to  try  to 
call  him,  but  he  was  out  of  sight.  "I  tried  to 
think  of  something  to  keep  him  till  you  came 
in,"  explained  the  disappointed  mother,  "but  I 
couldn't  do  it ;  he  laid  Susie  down  as  quick  as 
he  could,  and  shot  away  as  though  he  was  afraid 
you  would  get  hold  of  him." 

So  Nettie,  her  face  sad,  prepared  to  go  with 
Jerry  and  the  Smiths  down  to  evening  meeting, 
and  told  Jerry  on  the  way,  that  it  did  seem 
strange  to  her,  so  long  as  Susie  had  kept  Norm 
busy  all  the  afternoon,  that  they  must  let  him 
slip  away  from  them  at  last. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   LITTLE   PICTUKE   MAKEBS. 

A  FTER  Susie  Decker  pitched  out  of  the 
~^  window  that  Sabbath  afternoon  she  be- 
came such  an  object  of  importance  that  you 
would  hardly  have  supposed  anything  else  could 
have  happened  worth  mentioning ;  but  after  the 
excitement  was  quite  over,  and  Susie  had  been 
cuddled  and  petted  and  cared  for  more  than  it 
seemed  to  her  she  had  ever  been  in  her  life  be- 
fore, Mr.  Decker,  finding  nothing  better  to  do, 
went  out  and  sat  down  on  the  doorstep. 

Little  Sate  dried  her  eyes  and  slipped  away 
very  soon  after  she  discovered  that  Susie  could 
move,  and  speak,  and  was  therefore  not  dead. 
She  had  wandered  in  search  of  entertainment 
to  the  yard  just  around  the  corner,  where  had 
come  but  a  few  days  before,  a  small  boy  on  a 
visit. 

This  boy,  Bobby  by  name,  finding  Sunday  a 
240 


THE   LITTLE    PICTURE   MAKERS.  241 

hard  day,  had  finally,  after  getting  into  all  sorts 
of  mischief  within  doors,  been  established  by  an 
indulgent  auntie  in  the  back  yard,  with  her 
apron  tied  around  his  chubby  neck,  to  protect 
his  new  suit,  with  a  few  pieces  of  charcoal,  and 
permission  to  draw  some  nice  Sunday  pictures 
on  the  white  boards  of  the  house. 

This  business  interested  Sate,  and  in  spite  of 
her  shyness,  drew  her  the  other  side  of  the  high 
board  fence  which  separated  the  neighbor's  back 
yard  from  Mr.  Decker's  side  one. 

Just  as  that  gentleman  took  his  seat  on  the 
doorstep,  he  heard  the  voices  of  the  two  chil- 
dren ;  first,  Bobby's  confident  one,  the  words  he 
used  conveying  aji  assurance  of  unlimited  power 
at  his  command  — 

"Now,  what  shall  I  make?" 

"  Make,"  said  Sate,  her  sweet  face  thrown  up- 
ward in  earnest  thought,  "  make  the  angel  who 
would  have  come  for  Susie  if  she  had  died  just 
now." 

"  How  do  you  know  any  angel  would  have 
come  for  her  ?  "  asked  sturdy  Bobby. 

"  Why,  'cause  I  know  there  would.  Miss 
Sherrill  said  so  to-day;  she  told  us  about  that 
little  baby  that  died  last  night ;  she  said  an 


LITTLE    FISHEKS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

angel  came  after  it  and  took  it  right  straight  up 
to  heaven." 

"Maybe  she  don't  know,"  said  skeptical 
Bobby. 

Then  did  Sate's  eyes  flash. 

"  I  guess  she  does  know,  Bobby  Burns,  and 
you  will  be  real  mean  and  bad  if  you.  say  so  any 
more.  She  knows  all  about  heaven,  and  angels, 
and  everything." 

"  Does  angels  come  after  all  folks  that  dies  ?  " 

"  I  dunno  ;  I  guess  so ;  no,  I  guess  not.  Only 
good  folks  " 

"Is  Susie  good?" 

"  Sometimes  she  is,"  said  truthful  Sate,  in 
slow,  thoughtful  tones,  a  touch  of  motu-nfulness 
in  them  that  might  have  gone  to  Susie's  heart 
had  she  heard  and  understood ;  "  she  gave  me 
the  biggest  half  of  a  cookie  the  other  night.  It 
was  a  good  deal  the  biggest;  and  she  takes  care 
of  me  most  always ;  one  day  she  took  off  her 
shoes  and  put  them  on  me,  because  the  stones 
and  the  rough  ground  hurt  my  feet.  They  hurt 
her  feet  too;  they  Weeded,  oh !  just  awful,  but 
she  wouldn't  let  me  be  hurt." 

"  Why  didn't  you  wear  your  own  shoes?" 

"I  didn't  have  any;  mine  all  went  to  holes* 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  243 

just  great  big  holes  that  wouldn't  stay  on ;  it 
was  before  my  papa  got  good,  and  he  didn't  buy 
me  any  shoes  at  all." 

"  Has  your  papa  got  good  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Sate  confidently,  "I  guess  he  has. 
My  sister  Nettie  thinks  so ;  and  Susie  does  too. 
He  don't  drink  bad  stuff  any  more.  It  was 
some  kind  of  stuff  he  drank  that  made  him  cross ; 
mamma  said  so  ;  and  the  stuff  made  him  feel  so 
bad  that  he  couldn't  buy  shoes,  nor  nothing; 
why,  sometimes,  before  Nettie  came  home,  we 
didn't  have  any  bread !  He  isn't  cross  to-day, 
and  he  wasn't  last  night;  and  he  bought  me 
some  new  shoes  —  real  pretty  ones,  and  he  kissed 
me.  I  love  my  papa  when  he  is  good.  Do  you 
love  your  papa  when  he  is  good  ?  " 

"  My  papa  is  always  good,"  said  Bobby,  with 
that  air  of  immense  superiority. 

"Is  he?"  asked  Sate,  wonder  and  admiration 
in  her  tone.  Happy  Bobby,  to  possess  a  father 
who  was  always  good !  "  Doesn't  he  ever  drink 
any  of  that  bad  stuff  ?  " 

"I  guess  he  doesn't!"  said  indignant  Bobby. 
"You  wouldn't  catch  him  taking  a  drop  of  it 
for  anything.  If  he  was  sick  and  was  going  to 
die  if  he  didn't,  he  says  he  wouldn't  take  it.  I 


244    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

know  all  about  that ;  the  name  of  it  is  whiskey, 
and  things;  it  has  lots  of  names,  but  that  is  one 
of  them.  My  father  is  a  temperance." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  It  is  a  man  who  promises  that  he  won't  ever 
taste  it  nor  touch  it,  nor  nothing,  forever  and 
ever.  And  he  won't." 

"Oh  my!"  said  Sate.  "Then  of  course  you 
love  him  all  the  time.  I  mean  to  love  my  papa, 
all  the  time  too.  I'm  most  sure  I  can.  What 
makes  you  make  such  a  big  angel  ?  Susie  isn't 
big;  a  little  angel  could  carry  her." 

"This  angel  isn't  the  one  who  was  coming  for 
Susie ;  it  is  the  one  who  is  going  to  come  for 
my  papa  when  he  dies." 

"  Oh !  then  will  you.  make  the  one  who  will 
come  for  my  papa?  Make  him  very  big  and 
strong,  for  my  papa  is  a  strong  man,  and  I  don't 
want  the  angel  to  drop  him." 

Mr.  Decker  arose  suddenly  and  went  round  to 
the  back  part  of  the  house,  and  cleared  his 
throat,  and  coughed,  two  or  three  times,  and 
rubbed  the  back  of  his  hand  across  his  eyes. 
Had  he  peeped  through  the  fence  and  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  angel  whom  Bobby  made,  he 
might  not  have  been  so  strangely  touched  ;  but 


THE    LITTLE    PICTUEE   MAKERS.  245 

the  words  of  his  little  girl  seemed  to  choke  him, 
and  his  eyes,  just  then,  were  too  dim  to  see 
angels. 

He  was  very  still  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon. 
At  the  tea  table  he  scarcely  spoke,  and  after- 
wards, while  Mrs.  Decker  and  Nettie  were 
mourning  over  Norm's  escape,  he  too  put  oa 
his  coat,  and  went  away  down  the  street. 

Mrs.  Decker  came  to  the  door  when  she  dis- 
covered it,  and  looked  after  him.  He  was  still 
in  sight,  hut  she  did  not  dare  to  call.  As  she 
looked,  she  gathered  up  a  corner  of  her  apron 
and  wiped  her  eyes.  Presently  she  sat  down  on 
the  step  where  he  had  been  sitting  so  short  a 
time  before,  leaned  her  elbows  on  her  knees,  and 
her  cheeks  on  her  hands,  and  thought  sad 
thoughts. 

She  felt  very  much  discouraged.  On  this 
first  Sunday,  after  the  new  room  had  been  made, 
and  new  hopes  excited,  they  had  slipped  away, 
both  Norm  and  her  husband,  to  lounge  in  the 
saloon  as  usual,  and  to  come  home,  late  at  night, 
the  worse  for  liquor.  She  knew  all  about  it ! 

Hadn't  she  been  through  it  many  times  ? 

The  little  gleam  of  hope  which  had  started 
again,  under  Nettie  and  Jerry's  encouraging 


246    UTTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  JTETB. 

words  and  ways,  died  quite  out.  Sitting  there, 
Mrs.  Decker  made  up  her  mind  once  more,  that 
there  was  no  kind  of  use  in  working,  and  strug- 
gling, and  trying  to  be  somebody.  She  was  the 
wife  of  a  drunkard  ;  and  the  mother  of  a  drunk- 
ard ;  Norm  would  be  that,  before  long.  And 
her  little  girls  would  grow  up  beggars.  It  was 
almost  a  pity  that  Susie  had  not  been  killed 
when  she  fell.  Why  should  she  want  to  live  to 
be  a  drunkard's  daughter,  and  a  drunkard's  sis- 
ter? If  the  Heaven  she  used  to  hear  about 
when  she  was  a  little  girl,  was  all  so,  why  should 
she  not  long  for  Susie  and  Sate  to  go  there  ? 
Then  if  she  could  go  away  herself  and  leave  all 
this  misery ! 

She  had  hurried  with  her  dishes,  she  had 
hoped  that  when  she  was  ready  to  sit  down  in 
the  neat  room  with  the  new  lamp  burning 
brightly,  he  would  sit  with  her  as  he  used  to  do 
on  Sunday  evenings  long  ago.  But  here  she 
was  alone,  as  usual.  More  than  once  that  big 
apron  which  she  had  not  cared  to  take  off  after 
she  found  herself  deserted,  was  made  to  do 
duty  as  a  handkerchief  and  wipe  away  bitter 
tears. 

Meantime,  Nettie  sat  in  the  pretty  church  and 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  247 

looked  at  the  lovely  flowers,  and  listened  to  the 
wonderful  singing.  Miss  Sherrill  sang  the  solo 
of  something  more  beautiful  than  Nettie  had 
ever  even  imagined.  "  Consider  the  lilies  how 
they  grow."  What  wonderful  words  were  these 
to  be  sung  while  looking  down  at  a  great  bank 
of  lilies !  It  is  possible  that  the  singing  may 
have  been  more  beautiful  to  Nettie  because  her 
own  fingers  had  arranged  the  lilies,  but  it  was 
in  itself  enough  for  any  reasonable  mortal's  ear, 
and  as  it  rolled  through  the  church,  there  was 
more  than  one  listener  who  thought  of  the 
angels,  and  wondered  if  their  voices  could  be 
sweeter.  Nettie's  small  handkerchief  went  to 
her  eyes  several  times  during  the  anthem ;  she 
could  not  have  told  why  she  cried,  but  the 
music  moved  her  strangely.  Before  the  anthem 
was  fairly  concluded  there  was  something  else 
to  take  her  attention.  Mrs.  Job  Smith  in  whose 
seat  she  sat,  gave  her  arm  a  vigorous  poke  with 
a  sharp  elbow,  and  whispered  in  a  voice  which 
seemed  to  Nettie  must  have  been  heard  all  over 
the  church,  "  For  the  land's  sake,  if  there  ain't 
your  pa  sitting  down  there  under  the  gallery ! " 
As  soon  as  she  dared  do  so,  Nettie  turned  her 
head  for  one  swift  look.  Mrs.  Smith  must  be 


248      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIK   NETS. 

mistaken,  but  she  would  take  one  glance  to 
assure  herself.  Certainly  that  was  her  father, 
sitting  in  almost  the  last  seat,  leaning  his  head 
against  one  of  the  pillars,  the  shabbiuess  of  his 
coat  showing  plainly  in  the  bright  gaslight. 
But  Nettie  did  not  think  of  his  coat.  Her 
cheeks  grew  red,  and  her  eyes  filled  again  with 
tears.  It  was  not  the  music,  now ;  it  was  a 
strange  thrill  of  satisfaction,  and  of  hope.  How 
pleasant  she  had  thought  it  would  be  to  go  to 
church  with  her  father.  It  was  one  of  the 
things  she  had  planned  at  Auntie  Marshall's ; 
how  she  would  perhaps  take  her  father's  arm, 
being  tall  for  her  years,  and  Auntie  Marshall 
said  he  was  not  a  tall  man,  and  walk  to  church 
by  his  side,  and  find  the  hymns  for  him,  and  re- 
ceive his  fatherly  smile,  and  when  she  handed 
him  his  hat  after  service,  perhaps  he  would  say, 
"  Thank  you,  my  daughter,"  as  she  had  heard 
Doctor  Porter  say  to  his  little  girl  in  the  seat 
just  ahead  of  theirs.  Nettie's  hungry  little  heart 
had  wanted  to  hear  that  word  applied  to  herself. 
Now  all  these  sweet  dreams  of  hers  seemed  to 
have  been  ages  ago ;  actually  it  felt  like  years 
since  she  had  hoped  for  such  a  thing,  or  dreamed 
of  seeing  her  father  in  church,  so  swiftly  had 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  249 

the  reality  crowded  out  her  pretty  dreams.  Yet 
there  he  sat,  listening  to  the  reading. 

What  Nettie  would  have  done  or  thought 
had  she  known  that  Norm  and  two  friends  were 
at  that  moment  seated  in  the  gallery  just  over 
her  father's  head,  I  cannot  say.  On  the  whole, 
I  am  glad  she  did  not  know  it  until  church  was 
out.  Especially  I  am  glad  she  did  not  know 
that  Norm  giggled  a  good  deal,  and  whispered 
more  or  less,  and  in  various  ways  so  annoyed 
the  minister  that  he  found  it  difficult  to  keep 
from  speaking  to  the  young  men  in  the  gallery. 
The  fact  is,  he  would  have  done  so,  had  he  not 
recognized  in  one  of  them  his  helper  of  the  eve- 
ning before,  and  resolved  to  bear  his  troubles  pa- 
tiently, in  the  hope  that  something  good  would 
grow  out  of  this  unusual  appearance  at  church. 

It  would  perhaps  be  hard  work  to  explain 
what  had  brought  Norm  to  church.  A  fancy 
perhaps  for  seeing  how  the  flowers  looked  by 
this  time.  A  queer  feeling  that  he  was  slightly 
connected  with  the  church  service  for  once  in 
his  life ;  a  lingering  desire  to  know  whether  in 
the  hanging  of  that  tallest  wreath,  he  or  the 
minister  had  been  right ;  they  had  differed  as 
to  the  distance  from  one  arch  to  the  other; 


250      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

from  the  gallery  he  was  sure  he  could  tell  which 
had  possessed  the  truer  eye.  All  these  motives 
pressed  him  a  little.  Then  they  were  singing 
when  he  reached  the  door,  and  Rick  had  said, 
"  Hallo !  that  voice  sounds  as  though  it  lived 
up  in  the  skyi  Who  is  that,  do  you  s'pose  V  " 

Then  Norm  proud  of  his  knowledge  in  the 
matter,  explained  that  she  was  the  minister's 
sister,  and  they  said  she  could  mimic  a  bird  so 
you  couldn't  tell  which  was  which. 

"  Poh !  "  Alf  had  said  ;  he  didn't  believe  a 
word  of  that ;  he  should  like  to  see  a  woman 
who  could  fool  him  into  thinking  that  she  was  a 
bird !  but  he  had  added,  "  Let's  go  in  and  hear 
her."  And  as  this  was  what  Norm  had  been 
half  intending  to  do  ever  since  he  started  from 
the  house,  he  agreed  to  do  it  at  once.  In  they 
slipped  and  half-hid  themselves  behind  the 
posts  in  the  gallery,  and  behaved  disreputably 
.  all  the  evening,  more  because  they  felt  shame- 
faced about  being  there  at  all,  and  wanted  to 
keep  each  other  in  countenance,  than  because 
they  really  desired  to  disturb  the  service.  How- 
ever, they  heard  a  great  deal. 

What  do  you  think  was  the  minister's  text 
on  that  evening  ?  "  No  drunkard  shall  inherit 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  251 

the  kingdom  of  heaven."  I  shall  have  to  tell 
you  that  when  he  caught  sight  of  Mr.  Decker 
half-hidden  behind  his  post  and  recognized  him 
as  the  man  who  was  so  fast  growing  into  a  drunk- 
ard, and  as  the  man  who  had  never  been  inside 
the  church  since  he  had  been  the  pastor,  he  was 
sorry  that  his  text  and  subject  were  what  they 
were  that  evening.  He  told  himself  that  it  was 
very  unfortunate.  That  if  he  had  dreamed  of 
such  a  thing  as  having  that  man  for  a  listener, 
he  would  have  told  him  the  story  of  Jesus  as 
simply  and  as  earnestly  as  he  could ;  and  not 
have  preached  a  sermon  that  would  seem  to  the 
man  as  a  fling  at  himself.  However,  there  was 
no  help  for  it  now;  he  did  not  recognize  Mr. 
Decker  until  he  had  announced  his  text,  and 
fairly  commenced  his  sermon. 

It  was  a  sermon  for  young  people ;  it  was  in- 
tended to  warn  them  against  the  first  beginnings 
of  this  great  sin  which  shut  heaven  away  from 
the  sinner.  He  need  not  have  been  troubled 
about  not  telling  the  story  of  Jesus ;  there  was 
a  great  deal  about  Jesus  in  the  sermon,  as  well 
as  a  great  deal  about  the  heaven  prepared  for 
those  who  were  Avilling  to  go.  I  do  not  know 
that  anywhere  in  the  church  you  could  have 


252      LITTLE   FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

found  a  more  attentive  listener  than  Mr.  Decker. 
At  least  one  who  seemed  to  listen  more  earn- 
estly; from  the  moment  that  the  text  was  re- 
peated until  the  great  Bible  was  closed,  he  did 
not  take  his  eyes  from  the  minister's  face.  Yet 
some  of  his  words  he  did  not  hear.  Some  of  the 
time  Mr.  Decker  was  hearing  a  little  voice,  very 
sweet,  saying :  "  Make  a  very  big  strong  angel 
to  come  for  my  papa  when  he  dies ;  my  papa  is 
a  strong  man  and  I  don't  want  the  angel  to 
drop  him."  Poor  papa !  as  he  thought  of  it,  he 
had  to  look  straight  before  him  and  wink  hard 
and  fast  to  keep  the  tears  from  dropping ;  he 
had  no  handkerchief  to  wipe  them  away.  Think 
of  an  angel  coming  for  him!  "I  love  my  papa 
when  he  is  good!"  the  sweet  voice  had  said. 
Was  he  ever  good?  Then  he  listened  awhile 
to  the  sermon ;  heard  the  vivid  description  of 
some  of  the  possible  glories  and  joys  of  Heaven. 
Would  he  be  likely  ever  to  go  there?  Little 
Sate  thought  so;  she  had  planned  for  it  that 
very  afternoon.  Dear  little  Sate  who  did  not 
want  the  angel  to  drop  him. 

Now  it  is  possible  that  if  the  sermon  had 
been  about  drunkards,  Mr.  Decker  would  have 
been  vexed  and  would  not  have  listened.  .He 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  253 

did  not  call  himself  a  drunkard ;  it  is  a  sad  and 
at  the  same  time  a  curious  fact  that  he  did  not 
realize  'how  nearly  he  had  reached  the  point 
where  the  name  would  apply  to  him.  That  he 
drank  beer,  much,  and  often,  and  that  he  was 
growing  more  and  more  fond  of  it,  and  that  it 
kept  him  miserably  poor,  was  certainly  true, 
and  there  were  times  when  he  realized  it;  but 
that  he  was  ever  going  to  be  a  common  drunk- 
ard and  roll  in  the  gutter,  and  kick  his  wife, 
and  seize  his  children  by  the  hair,  he  did  not 
for  a  moment  believe.  But  the  sermon  was  by 
no  means  addressed  to  people  who  were  even  so 
far  on  this  road  as  he.  It  was  addressed  to  boys, 
who  were  just  beginning  to  like  the  taste  of  hai-d 
cider,  and  spruce  beer,  and  hop  bitters,  and  all 
those  harmless  (?)  drinks  which  so  many  boys 
were  using.  It  was  a  plain  story  of  the  rapid, 
certain,  downward  journey  of  those  who  began 
in  these  simple  ways.  It  was  illustrated  by 
certain  facts  which  Mr.  Sherrill  had  personally 
known.  And  Mr.  Decker,  as  he  listened,  owned 
to  himself  that  he  knew  facts  which  would  have 
proved  the  same  truth. 

Then  he  gave  a  little  start  and  shrank  farther 
into  the  shadow  of  the  pillar.     The  moment  he 


254    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

admitted  that,  he  also  admitted  that  he  was  him- 
self in  danger.  What  nonsense  that  was! 
Couldn't  he  stop  drinking  the  stuff  whenever  he 
liked  ?  "  There  is  a  time,"  said  the  minister, 
"  when  this  matter  is  in  your  own  hands.  You 
have  no  very  great  taste  for  the  dangerous 
liquors,  you  are  only  using  them  because  those 
with  whom  you  associate  do  so.  You  could  give 
them  up  without  much  effort;  but  I  tell  you, 
my  friends,  the  time  comes,  and  to  many  it 
comes  very  early  in  life,  when  they  are  like 
slaves  bound  hand  and  foot  in  a  habit  that  they 
cannot  break,  and  cannot  control."  Mr.  Decker 
heard  this,  and  something,  Avhat  was  it?  pressed 
the  thought  home  to  him  just  then,  that,  if  he 
did  not  belong  to  this  last-mentioned  class, 
neither  did  he  to  the  former.  He  knew  it  would 
take  a  good  deal  of  effort  for  him  to  give  up  his 
beer ;  of  course  it  would  ;  else  he  should  not  be 
such  a  fool  as  to  keep  himself  and  his  family  in 
poverty  for  the  sake  of  indulging  it.  What  if 
he  were  already  a  slave,  bound  hand  and  foot ! 
What  if  the  "  stuff  "  which  Sate  said  made  him 
"cross"  had  already  made  him  a  drunkard: 
Perhaps  the  boys  on  the  street  called  him  so ; 
though  they  rarely  saw  him  stagger;  his  stagger- 


THE    LITTLE    PICTURE    MAKERS.  255 

ing  was  nearly  always  done  under  cover  of  the 
night.  Still,  now  that  he  was  dealing  honestly' 
with  himself,  he  must  own  that  it  was  less  easy 
to  go  without  his  beer  than  it  used  to  be. 
Since  Nettie  had  come  home  he  had  drank  less 
of  it  than  usual,  and  by  that  very  means  he  had 
discovered  how  much  it  meant  to  him.  "No 
drunkard  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  heaven!'* 
The  minister's  earnest  voice  repeated  his  text 
just  then.  Was  he  a  drunkard?  Then  what 
about  the  strong  angel?  Little  Sate  was  to  be 

o         o 

disappointed,  after  all ! 

Oh  !  I  am  not  going  to  try  to  tell  you  all  the 
thoughts  which  passed  through  Joe  Decker's 
mind  that  evening.  I  don't  think  he  could  tell 
you  himself,  though  he  remembers  the  evening 
vividly.  He  stood  up,  during  the  closing  hymn, 
and  waited  until  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced, and  then  he  slipped  away,  swiftly; 
Nettie  tried  to  get  to  him,  but  she  did  not  suc- 
ceed, and  she  sorrowed  over  it.  He  stumbled 
along  in  the  darkness,  moving  almost  as  un- 
steadily as  though  he  had  been  drinking.  The 
sky  was  thick  with  clouds,  and  he  jostled  against 
a  lady  and  gentleman  as  he  crossed  the  street ; 
the  lady  shrank  away.  "Who  is  that?"  he 


256    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AISD  THEIR  NETS. 

heard  her  ask;  and  the  answer  came  to  him 
distinctly:  "Oh!  it  is  old  Joe  Decker;  he  is 
drunk,  I  suppose.  He  generally  is  at  this  time 
of  night." 

Yes,  there  it  was !  he  \vas  already,  counted  on 
the  streets  as  a  drunkard.  "  No  drunkard  shall 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  It  was  not  the 
minister's  voice  this  time;  yet  it  seemed  to  the 
poor  man's  excited  brain  that  some  one  repeated 
those  words  in  his  ears.  Then  he  heard  again 
the  sweet  soft  voice  :  "  Make  him  very  big  and 
strong,  for  I  don't  want  the  angel  to  drop  him." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

•4 

THE   CONCEBT. 

TTTITHIN  the  church  wonderful  things  were 
going  on.  Jerry  had  caught  sight  of 
Norm  as  he  slipped  up  the  gallery  stairs,  and 
laid  his  plans  accordingly.  He  whispered  to 
Nettie  during  the  singing  of  the  closing  hymn, 
thereby  shocking  her  a  little.  Jerry  did  not  of- 
ten whisper  in  church. 

This  was  what  he  said :  "  Don't  you  need 
those  lilies  to  help  trim  the  room  to-morrow 
night  ?  Let's  take  them  home." 

The  moment  the  "amen"  was  spoken,  he 
dashed  out,  and  was  at  the  stair  door  as  Norm 
came  down. 

"  Norm,"  he  said,  "  won't  you  help  me  carry 
home  that  tray  ?  We  want  the  flowers  for  some- 
thing special  to-morrow." 

Said  Norm,  "  O  bother  1     I  can't  help  tote 
that  heavy  thing  through  the  streets." 
257 


258      LITTLE    riSHEES  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

"What's  that?"  asked  Rick;  and  when  the 
explanation  was  briefly  made,  he  added  the  little 
word  of  advice  which  so  often  turns  the  scales. 

"  Ho !  that  isn't  much  to  do  when  you  are 
going  that  very  road.  I'd  do  as  much  as  that, 
any  day,  for  the  little  chap  who  gave  us  such  a 
tall  row."  This  last  was  in  undertone. 

"Well,"  said  Norm,  «  I  don't  care  ;  I'll  help ; 
but  how  are  we  going  to  get  the  things  out 
here?" 

"  Come  inside,"  answered  Jerry ;  "  we  can 
wait  in  the  back  seat.  They  will  all  be  gone  in 
a  few  minutes,  then  we  can  step  up  and  get  the 
salver." 

Once  inside  the  church,  the  rest  followed 
easily.  Mr.  Sherrill  who  had  eyes  for  all  that 
was  going  on,  came  forward  swiftly  and  held  a 
cordial  hand  to  Norm. 

"  Good-evening,"  he  said ;  "  I  am  glad  to  see 
you  accepted  my  invitation.  How  did  our  work 
look  by  gaslight  ?  " 

"  It  looked,"  said  Norm,  a  roguish  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  "  it  looked  just  as  I  expected  it  would  ; 
crooked.  That  there  arch  at  the  left  of  the  pulpit 
wants  to  be  hung  as  much  as  two  inches  lower 
to  match  the  other." 


THE   CONCERT.  259 

"  You  don't  say  so ! "  said  the  minister,  in 
.good-humored  surprise.  "  Does  it  appear  so 
from  the  gallery  ?  Are  my  eyes  as  crooked  as 
that  ?  Let  us  go  up  gallery  and  see  if  I  can  dis- 
cover it." 

So  to  the  gallery  they  went,  Norm  clearing 
the  space  with  a  few  bounds,  and  taking  a  tri- 
umphant station  where  he  could  point  out  the 
defect  to  the  minister. 

"That  is  true,"  Mr.  Sherrill  said,  with  hearty 
frankness.  "  You  are  right  and  I  was  wrong. 
If  I  had  taken  your  word  last  night  the  wreaths 
would  have  looked  better,  wouldn't  they  ?  Well, 
perhaps  wreaths  are  not  the  only  things  which 
show  crooked  when  we  get  higher  up  and  look 
down  on  them.  Kh,  my  friend  ?" 

Norm  laughed  a  good-humored,  rather  embar- 
rassed laugh.  It  was  remarkable  that  he  should 
be  up  here  holding  a  chatty,  almost  gay,  conver- 
sation with  the  minister.  There  came  over  him 
the  wish  that  he  had  behaved  himself  better 
during  the  service.  That  he  had  not  whispered 
so  much,  nor  nudged  Rick's  elbow  to  make  him 
laugh,  just  at  the  moment  that  the  minister's  eye 
was  fixed  on  them.  He  had  a  half-fancy  that  if 
the  evening  were  to  be  lived  over  again,  he  would 


260    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

go  down  below  and  sit  up  straight  and  show  this 
man  that  he  could  behave  as  well  as  anybody 
if  he  were  a  mind  to. 

Not  a  word  about  the  laughing  and  whisper- 
ing said  the  minister.  But  he  said  a  thing  which 
startled  Norm. 

"  My  sister  has  a  fancy  for  having  the  church 
adorned  with  wreaths  or  strings  of  asters  in  con- 
trasting colors  for  next  Sabbath  ;  will  you  make 
an  appointment  with  me  to  help  hang  them  on 
Saturday  evening?  I'll  promise  to  follow  your 
eye  to  the  half-inch." 

Norm  started,  flushed,  looked  into  the  frank 
face  and  laughed  a  little,  then  seeing  that  the 
answer  was  waited  for  said  :  "  Why,  I  don't 
care  if  I  do,  if  you  honestly  want  it." 

"  I  honestly  want  it,"  said  the  minister  in 
great  satisfaction.  Then  they  went  downstairs. 

Job  Smith  and  his  wife  were  gone. 

"  I  will  wait  for  my  brother,"  said  Nettie,  and 
her  heart  swelled  with  pride  as  she  said  it. 

How  nice  to  have  a  brother  to  wait  for,  just 
as  Miss  Sherrill  was  doing.  At  that  moment 
the  "  beautiful  lady  "  as  Sate  and  Susie  called 
her,  came  to  Nettie's  side. 

"  Good-evening,"  she  said  pleasantly.    "  I  hope 


THE   CONCERT.  261 

the  little  girls  are  well ;  I  met  your  brother  last 
night ;  he  helped  my  brother  to  hang  the  flow- 
era.  I  see  they  are  upstairs  together  now,  ad- 
miring their  work.  My  brother  said  he  was  a 
very  intelligent  helper.  You  do  not  know  how 
much  I  thank  you  for  those  flowers.  They 
helped  me  to  sing  to-night.'* 

"I  thought,"  said  Nettie,  raising  her  great 
truthful  eyes  to  the  lady's  face  and  speaking  with 
an  earnestness  that  showed  she  felt  what  she 
said,  "  I  thought  you  sang  as  though  the  angels 
were  helping  you.  I  don't  think  they  can  sing 
any  sweeter." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Miss  Sherrill ;  she  smiled 
as  she  spoke,  yet  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes ; 
the  honest,  earnest  tribute  seemed  very  unlike  a 
little  girl,  and  very  unlike  the  usual  way  of  com- 
plimenting her  wonderful  voice.  "  I  saw  that 
you  liked  music,"  she  said, "  I  noticed  you  while 
I  was  singing.  Will  you  let  me  give  you  a 
couple  of  tickets  for  the  concert  to-morrow  even- 
ing ;  and  will  you  and  your  brother  come  to  hear 
me  sing?  I  am  going  to  sing  something  that  I 
think  you  will  like." 

Nettie  went  home  behind  the  lilies  and  the 
boys,  her  heart  all  in  a  flutter  of  delight.  What 


262    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

a  wonderful  thing  had  come  to  her!  The  con- 
cert for  which  the  best  singers  in  town  had  been 
so  long  practising,  and  for  which  the  tickets 
were  fifty  cents  apiece,  arid  which  she  had  no 
more  expected  to  attend  than  she  had  expected 
to  hear  the  real  angels  sing  that  week,  was  to 
take  place  to-morrow  evening,  and  she  had  two 
tickets  in  her  pocket !  • 

Mrs.  Decker  was  waiting  for  them,  her  nose 
pressed  against  the  glass ;  she  started  forward  to 
open  the  door  for  the  boys,  before  Nettie  could 
reach  it.  There  was  such  a  look  of  relief  on  her 
face  when  she  saw  Norm  as  ought  to  have  gone 
to  his  very  heart ;  but  he  did  not  see  it ;  he  was 
busy  settling  the  salver  in  a  safe  place. 

"  Has  father  come  in  ?  "  Nettie  asked,  as  she 
followed  her  mother  to  the  back  step,  where  she 
went  for  the  dipper  at  Norm's  call. 

"  Yes,  child,  he  has,  and  went  straight  to  bed. 
He  didn't  say  two  words ;  but  he  wasn't  cross  ; 
and  he  hadn't  drank  a  drop,  I  believe."^ 

"  Mother,"  said  Nettie,  standing  on  tiptoe  to 
reach  the  tall  woman's  ear,  and  speaking  in  an 
awe-stricken  whisper,  "  father  was  in  church  ! " 

"  For  the  land  of  pity !  "  said  Mrs.  Becker, 
Bpeaking  low  and  solemnly. 


THE   CONCERT.  263 

And  all  through  the  next  morning's  meal, 
which  was  an  unusually  quiet  one,  she  waited  on 
her  husband  with  a  kind  of  respectful  reverence, 
which  if  he  had  noticed,  might  have  bewildered 
him.  It  seemed  to  her  that  the  event  of  the 
evening  before  had  lifted  him  into  a  higher  world 
than  hers,  and  that  she  could  not  tell  now,  what 
might  happen. 

The  event  of  the  day  was  the  concert ;  all 
other  plans  were  set  aside  for  that.  At  first 
Norm  scoffed  and  declared  that  his  ticket  might 
be  used  to  light  the  fire  with,  for  all  he  cared  ; 
he  didn't  want  to  go  to  one  of  their  "  swell " 
concerts.  But  this  talk  Nettie  laughed  over 
good-naturedly,  as  though  it  were  intended  for 
a  joke,  and  continued  her  planning  as  to  when 
to  have  supper,  and  just  when  she  and  Norm 
must  start. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  that  young  man  dis- 
covered it  to  be  a  fine  thing  to  own  tickets  for 
this  special  concert.  Before  noon  tickets  were 
at  a  premium,  and  several  of  Norm's  fellow- 
workmen  gayly  advised  him  to  make  an  honest 
penny  by  selling  his.  During  the  early  morning 
it  had  been  delicately  hinted  by  one  young  fellow 
that  Norm  Decker's  tickets  were  made  of  tissue 


264      LITTtE    FISHEBS  :     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

paper,  which  was  his  way  of  saying,  that  he  did 
not  believe  that  Norm  had  any;  but,  thanks  to 
Nettie's  thoughtful  tact,  the  tickets  were  at  that 
very  moment  reposing  in  her  brother's  pocket, 
and  he  drew  them  forth  in  triumph,  wanting  to 
know  if  anybody  saw  any  tissue  paper  about 
those.  Good  stiff  green  pasteboard  with  the 
magic  words  on  them  which  would  admit  two 
people  to  what  was  considered  on  all  sides  the 
finest  entertainment  of  the  sort  the  town  had 
ever  enjoyed. 

"  Where  did  you  get  'em,  Norm  ?  Come,  tell 
us,  that's  a  good  fellow.  You  was  never  so 
green  as  to  go  and  pay  a  dollar  for  two  pieces  of 
pasteboard." 

"  They  are  complimentaries,"  said  Norm,  toss- 
ing off  a  shaving  with  a  careless  air,  as  though 
complimentary  tickets  to  first-class  concerts  were 
every-day  affairs  with  him: 

"  Complimentary  ?  My  eyes,  aren't  we  big !  " 
(I  am  very  sorry  that  the  boys  in  Norm's  shop 
used  these  slang  phrases ;  but  I  want  to  say  this 
for  them  :  it  was  because  they  had  never  been 
taught  better.  Not  one  of  them  had  mother  or 
father  who  were  grieved  by  such  words  ;  some 
of  them  were  so  truly  good-hearted  that  I  believe 


THE    CONCERT.  265 

if  such  had  been  the  case,  they  would  never 
have  used  them  again ;  and  I  wish  the  same 
might  be  said  of  all  boys  with  cultured  and  care- 
ful mothers.) 

"  How  did  you  get  'em  ?  Been  selling  tickets 
for  the  show,  or  piling  chairs,  or  what?" 

"I  haven't  done  a  living  thing  for  one  of 
them,"  said  Norm  composedly ;  and  Ben  Halleck 
came  to  his  rescue. 

"  That's  so,  boys ;  or,  at  least  if  he  had,  it 
wouldn't  done  him  no  good.  They  don't  pay 
for  this  show  in  any  such  way.  The  fellows  that 
carried  around  bills  were  paid  in  money  because 
they  said  they  expected  seats  would  be  scarce  ; 
and  they  didn't  sell  no  tickets  around  the  streets. 
Them  that  wanted  them  had  to  go  to  the  book- 
store and  buy  them.  Oh,  I  tell  you,  it's  a  big 
thing.  I  wouldn't  mind  going  myself  if  I  could 
be  complimented  through.  You  see  that  Sher- 
rill  girl  who  lives  at  the  new  minister's  is  a  most 
amazing  singer,  and  they  say  everybody  wants  to 
hear  her." 

By  this  time  Norm's  mind  was  fully  made  up 
that  he  would  go  to  the  concert.  It  is  a  pity 
Nettie  could  not  have  known  it.  For  despite 
the  cheerful  courage  with  which  she  received 


266    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIB  NETS. 

Norm's  disagreeable  statements  in  the  morning, 
she  was  secretly  very  much  afraid  that  he  would 
not  go.  This  would  have  been  a  great  trial  to 
her,  for  her  little  soul  was  as  full  of  music  as 
possible  ;  and  the  thought  of  hearing  that  won- 
derful voice  so  soon  again  filled  her  with  delight ; 
but  she  was  a  timid  little  girl  so  far  as  appear- 
ing among  strangers  was  concerned,  and  the  idea 
of  going  alone  to  a  concert  was  not  to  be  thought 
of.  Her  mother  proposed  Jerry  for  company, 
but  he  had  gone  with  Job  Smith  into  the  country 
and  was  not  likely  to  return  until  too  late.  So 
Nettie  made  her  little  preparations  with  a 
troubled  heart.  There  was  something  more  to 
it  than  simply  hearing  fine  music ;  it  would  be 
so  like  other  girls  whom  she  knew,  so  like  the 
dreams  of  home  she  had  indulged  in  while  at 
Auntie  Marshall's  —  this  going  out  in  the  even- 
ing attended  and  cared  for  by  her  brother. 

Norm  ate  his  dinner  in  haste,  and  was  silent 
and  almost  gruff ;  nobody  knows  why.  I  have 
often  wondered  why  even  well  brought  up  boys, 
seem  sometimes  to  like  to  appear  more  disagree- 
able than  at  heart  they  are. 

But  by  six  o'clock  the  much-thought-about 
brother  appeared,  his  face  pleasant  enough. 


THE   CONCERT.  267 

"Well,  Nannie,"  he  said,  "got  your  fusses 
and  fixings  all  ready  ?  " 

And  Nettie  with  beating  heart  and  laughing 
eyes  assured  him  that  she  would  be  all  ready 
in  good  time,  and  that  she  had  laid  his  clean 
shirt  on  his  bed,  and  a  clean  handkerchief,  and 
brushed  his  coat. 

"  Yes ;  and  she  ironed  your  shirt  with  her  own 
hands,"  explained  his  mother,  "  and  the  bosom 
shines  like  a  glass  bottle." 

"  O  bother ! "  said  Norm.  "  I  don't  want  a 
clean  shirt." 

But  he  went  to  his  attic  directly  after  supper 
and  put  on  the  shirt,  and  combed  his  hair,  and 
rubbed  his  boots  with  Jerry's  brush  which  he 
went  around  the  back  way  and  borrowed  of 
Mrs.  Job  Smith  before  he  came  in  to  supper. 

He  had  noticed  how  very  neat  and  pretty 
Nettie  looked  as  she  walked  down  the  church  isle 
beside  him  the  night  before ;  and  he  had  also 
noticed  Jerry's  shining  boots. 

His  mother  noticed  his  the  moment  he  came 
down  stairs.  "  How  nice  yon  two  do  look ! " 
she  said  admiringly ;  and  then  the  two  walked 
away  well  pleased.  It  was  a  wonderful  concert. 
Norm  had  not  known  that  he  was  particularly 


268      LITTLE    FISHERS.'     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

fond  of  music,  but  he  owned  to  Rick  the  next 
day,  that  there  was  something  in  that  Sherrill 
girl's  voice  which  almost  lifted  a  fellow  out  of 
his  boots. 

They  had  excellent  seats !  Nettie  learned  to 
her  intense  surprise  that  their  tickets  called  for 
reserved  seats.  She  had  studied  over  certain 
mysterious  numbers  on  the  tickets,  but  had  not 
understood  them.  It  appeared  also  that  the 
usher  was  surprised. 

"  Can't  give  you  any  seats,"  was  his  greeting 
as  they  presented  their  tickets.  "  Everything 
is  full  now  except  the  reserves ;  you'll  have  to 
stand  in  the  aisle ;  there's  a  good  place  under 
the  gallery.  Halloo !  What's  this  ?  Reserved  ! 
Why,  bless  us,  I  didn't  see  these  numbers. 
Come  down  this  way ;  you  have  as  nice  seats 
as  there  are  in  the  hall." 

It  was  all  delightful.  Lorena  Barstow  and 
two  others  of  the  Sabbath-school  class  were  a 
few  seats  behind  them;  Nettie  could  hear 
them  whispering  and  giggling,  and  for  a  few 
minutes  she  had  an  uncomfortable  feeling  that 
they  were  laughing  at  her;  as  I  am  sorry  to  say 
they  were. 

But  neither  this  nor  anything  else  troubled 


THE   CONCEET.  269 

her  long,  for  Norm's  unsual  toilet  having  taken 
much  longer  than  was  planned  for,  they  were 
really  among  the  late  comers ;  and  in  a  very  lit- 
tle while  the  music  began.  Oh !  how  wonder- 
ful it  was.  Neither  Nettie  nor  Norm  had  ever 
heard  really  fine  concert  music  before,  and  even 
Norm  who  did  not  know  that  he  cared  for  music, 
felt  his  nerves  thrill  to  his  fingers'  ends.  Then, 
when  after  the  first  two  or  three  pieces  Miss 
Sherrill  appeared,  she  was  so  beautiful  and  her 
voice  was  so  wonderful  that  Nettie,  try  as  hard 
as  she  did,  could  not  keep  the  tears  from  her 
foolish  happy  eyes.  I  will  not  venture  to  say 
how  much  the  beautiful  silk  dress  with  its  long 
train,  and  the  mass  of  soft  white  lace  at  her 
throat  had  to  do  with  Miss  Sherrill's  loveliness, 
though  I  daresay  if  she  had  appeared  in  a  twelve- 
cent  gingham  like  Nettie's,  she  might  have  sang 
just  as  sweetly.  Norm,  however,  did  not  believe 
that. 

"  Half  of  it  is  the  fuss  and  feathers,"  he  de- 
clared to  Rick,  next  day,  looking  wise.  And 
Rick  made  a  wise  answer. 

"  Well,  when  you  add  the  handsome  voice  to 
the  fuss  and  feathers,  I  s'pose  they  help,  but  I 
don't  believe  folks  would  go  and  rave  so  much 


270      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

just  over  a  blue  silk  dress,  and  some  gloves,  and 
things.  They  all  had  to  match,  you  see."  So 
Rick,  without  knowing  it,  became  a  philosopher. 
As  for  Nettie,  she  told  her  mother  that  the 
dress  was  just  lovely,  and  her  voice  was  as  sweet 
as  any  angel's  could  possibly  be  ;  but  there  was 
a  look  in  her  eyes  which  was  better  than  all  the 
rest ;  and  that  when  she  sang,  "  Oh  that  I  had 
wings,  had  wings  like  a  dove  ! "  she,  Nettie, 
could  not  help  feeling  that  they  were  hidden 
about  her  somewhere,  and  that  before  the  song 
was  over,  she  might  unfold  them  and  soar  away. 


CHAPTER  XY. 

A   WILL    AND    A   WAY. 

M  1HE  next  thing  we  want  to  do  is  to  earn 

,       some  money." 

This,  Jerry  said,  as  he  sat  on  the  si4e  step 
with  Nettie,  after  sunset.  They  had  been  hav- 
ing a  long  talk,  planning  the  campaign  against 
the  enemy,  which  they  had  made  up  their  minds 
should  be  carried  on  with  vigor.  At  least,  they 
had  been  trying  to  plan ;  but  that  obstacle 
which  seems  to  delight  to  step  into  the  midst  of 
so  many  plans  and  overturn  them,  viz.  money, 
met  them  at  every  point.  So  when  Jerry  made 
that  emphatic  announcement,  Nettie  was  pre- 
pared to  agree  with  him  fully ;  but  none  the 
less  did  she  turn  anxious  eyes  on  him  as  she 
said: 

"How  can  we?_" 

"I  don't  know  yet,"  Jerry  said,  whistling  a 

few  bars  of 

Oh,  do  not  be  discouraged, 
271 


272    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

and  stopping  in  the  middle  of  the  line  to  answer, 
"But  of  course  there  is  a  way.  There  was  an 
old  man  who  worked  for  my  father,  who  used  to 
say  so  often :  '  Where  there's  a  will  there's  a 
way,'  that  after  awhile  we  boys  got  to  calling 
him  'Will  and  Way'  for  short,  you  know;  his 
name  was  John,"  and  here  Jerry  stopped  to  laugh 
a  little  over  that  method  of  shortening  a  name ; 
"  but  it  was  wonderful  to  see  how  true  it  proved ; 
he  would  make  out  to  do  the  most  surprising 
things  that  even  my  father  thought  sometimes 
could  not  be  done.  We  must  make  a  way  to 
earn  some  money." 

Nettie  laughed  a  little.  "  Well,  I  am  sure," 
she  said,  "  there  is  a  will  in  this  case ;  in  fact, 
there  are  two  wills ;  for  you  seem  to  have  a  large 
one,  and  I  know  if  ever  I  was  determined  to  do 
a  thing  I  am  now ;  but  for  all  that  I  can't  think 
of  a  possible  way  to  earn  a  cent." 

Now  Sarah  Ann  Smith  was  at  this  moment 
standing  by  the  kitchen  window,  looking  out  on 
the  two  schemers.  Her  sleeves  were  rolled 
above  her  elbow,  for  she  was  about  to  set  the 
sponge  for  bread  ;  she  had  her  large  neat  work 
apron  tied  over  her  neat  dress-up  calico;  and  on 
her  head  was  perched  the  frame  out  of  which, 


A   WILL   AND   A   WAY.  273 

with  Nettie's  skilful  help,  and  some  pieces  of 
lace  from  her  mother's  old  treasure  bag,  she 
meant  to  make  herself  a  bonnet  every  bit  as 
pretty  as  the  one  worn  by  Miss  Sherrill  the  Sab- 
bath before. 

"Talk  of  keeping  things  seven  years  and 
they'll  come  good,"  said  Mrs.  Smith,  watching 
with  satisfaction  while  Nettie  tumbled  over  the 
contents  of  the  bag  in  eager  haste  and  exclaimed 
over  this  and  that  piece  which  would  be  "just 
lovely."  "  I've  kept  the  rubbish  in  that  bag  go- 
ing on  to  twenty  years,  just  because  the  pretty 
girls  where  I  used  to  do  clear-starching,  gave 
them  to  me.  I  had  no  kind  of  notion  what  I 
should  ever  do  with  them ;  but  they  looked 
bright  and  pretty,  and  I  always  was  a  master 
hand  for  bright  colors,  and  so  whenever  they 
would  hand  out  a  bit  of  ribbon  or  lace,  and  say, 
*  Cerinthy,  do  you  want  that?'  I  was  sure  to  say 
I  did ;  and  chuck  it  into  this  bag ;  and  now  to 
think  after  keeping  of  them  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  my  girl  should  be  planning  to  make  a  bon- 
net out  of  them !  Things  is  queer !  I  don't 
ever  mean  to  throw  away  anything.  I  never 
was  much  at  throwing  away ;  now  that's  a 
fact." 


274       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

Now  the  truth  was  that  Sarah  Ann,  left  to 
herself,  would  as  soon  have  thought  of  making 
a  house  out  of  the  contents  of  that  bag,  as  a  bon- 
net ;  but  Nettie  Decker's  deft  fingers  had  a  nat- 
ural tact  for  all  cunning  contrivances  in  lace  and 
silk,  and  her  skill  in  copying  what  she  saw,  was 
something  before  which  Sarah  Ann  stood  in  silent 
admiration  ;  when,  therefore,  she  offered  to  con- 
struct for  Sarah  Ann,  out  of  the  treasures  of 
that  bag,  a  bonnet  which  should  be  both  becom- 
ing and  economical,  Sarah  Ann's  gratitude  knew 
no  bounds.  She  went  that  very  afternoon  to  the 
milliner's  to  select  her  frame,  and  had  it  perched 
at  that  moment  as  I  said,  on  her  head,  while  she 
listened  to  the  clear  young  voices  under  the  win- 
dow. She  had  a  great  desire  to  be  helpful ;  but 
money  was  far  from  plenty  at  Job  Smith's. 

What  was  it  which  made  her  at  that  moment 
think  of  a  bit  of  news  which  she  had  heard  while 
at  the  milliner's?  Why,  nothing  more  remark- 
able than  that  the  color  of  Nettie  Decker's  hair 
in  the  fading  light  was  just  the  same  as  Mantie 
Horton's.  But  what  made  her  suddenly  speak 
her  bit  of  news,  interrupting  the  young  planners  ? 
Ah,  that  Sarah  Ann  does  not  know;  she  only 
knows  she  felt  just  like  saying  it,  so  she  said  it. 


A   WILL   AND    A    WAY.  275 

"  Mantle  Horton's  folks  are  all  going  to  move 
to  the  city ;  they  are  selling  off  lots  of  things ;  I 
saw  her  this  afternoon  when  I  was  at  the  mil- 
liner's, and  she  says  about  the  only  thing  now 
that  they  don't  know  what  to  do  with  is  her  old 
hen  and  chickens ;  a  nice  lot  of  chicks  as  ever 
she  saw,  but  of  course  they  can't  take  them  to 
the  city.  My !  I  should  think  they  would  feel 
dreadful  lonesome  without  chickens,  nor  pigs, 
nor  nothing!  We  might  have  some  chickens  as 
well  as  not,  if  we  only  had  a  place  to  keep  'em ; 
enough  scrapings  come  from  the  table  every  day, 
to  feed  'em,  most." 

Before  this  sentence  was  concluded,  Jerry  had 
turned  and  given  Nettie  a  sudden  look  as  if  to 
ask  if  she  saw  what  he  did ;  then  he  whistled  a 
low  strain  which  had  in  it  a  note  of  triumph ; 
and  the  moment  Sarah  Ann  paused  for  breath 
he  asked  :  "Where  do  the  Hortons  live?" 

"  Why,  out  on  the  pike  about  a  mile ;  that 
nice  white  house  set  back  from  the  road  a  piece ; 
don't  you  know?  It  is  just  a  pleasant  walk  out 
there." 

Then  Sarah  Ann  tinned  away  to  attend  to  her 
bread,  and  as  she  did  so  her  somewhat  homely 
face  was  lighted  by  a  smile;  for  an  idea  had 


276     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

just  dawned  upon  her,  and  she  chuckled  over  it : 
"I  shouldn't  wonder  if  those  young  things  would 
go  into  business;  he's  got  contrivance  enough  to 
make  a  coop,  any  day,  and  mother  would  let 
them  have  the  scrapings,  and  welcome." 

Sarah  Ann  was  right ;  though  Nettie,  unused 
to  country  ways  and  plans,  did  not  think  of  such 
a  thing,  Jerry  did.  The  next  morning  he  was 
up,  even  before  the  sun ;  in  fact  that  luminary 
peeped  at  him  just  as  he  was  turning  into  the 
long  carriage  drive  which  led  finally  to  the  Hor- 
ton  barnyard.  There  a  beautiful  sight  met  his 
eyes ;  a  white  and  yellow  topknot  mother,  and 
eight  or  ten  fluffy  chickens  scampering  about  her. 
"  They  are  nice  and  plump,"  said  Jerry  to  him- 
self ;  "  I'm  afraid  I  haven't  money  enough  to  buy 
them ;  but  then,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  risk  in 
raising  a  brood  of  chickens  like  these ;  perhaps 
he  will  sell  them  cheap." 

Farmer  Horton  was  an  early  riser,  and  was 
busy  about  his  stables  when  Jerry  reached  there. 
He  was  anxious  to  get  rid  of  all  his  live  stock, 
and  be  away  as  soon  as  possible,  and  here  was  a 
customer  anxious  to  buy  ;  so  in  much  less  time 
than  Jerry  had  supposed  it  would  take,  the  hen 
and  chickens  changed  owners  and  much  whis- 


A   WILL  AND   A  WAT.  277 

tling  was  done  by  the  new  owner  as  he  walked 
rapidly  back  to  town  to  build  a  house  for  his 
family. 

Mrs.  Smith  had  been  taken  into  confidence ; 
so  indeed  had  Job,  before  the  purchase  was  made ; 
but  the  whole  thing  was  to  be  a  profound  sur- 
prise to  Nettie.  Therefore,  she  saw  little  of  him 
that  day,  and  I  will  not  deny  was  a  trifle  hurt 
because  he  kept  himself  so  busy  about  something 
which  he  did  not  share  with  her.  But  I  want 
you  to  imagine,  if  you  can,  her  surprise  the  next 
morning  when  just  as  she  was  ready  to  set  the 
potatoes  to  frying,  she  heard  Jerry's  eager  voice 
calling  her  to  come  and  see  his  house. 

"  See  what  ?  "  asked  Nettie,  appearing  in  the 
doorway,  coffee  pot  in  hand. 

"A  new  house.  I  built  it  yesterday,  and 
rented  it ;  the  family  moved  in  last  night.  That 
is  the  reason  I  was  so  busy.  I  had  to  go 
out  and  help  move  them ;  and  I  must  say  they 
were  as  ill-behaved  a  set  as  I  ever  had  anything 
to  do  with.  The  mother  is  the  Grossest  party  I 
ever  saw  ;  and  she  has  no  government  whatever ; 
her  children  scurry  around  just  where  they 
please." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  "  said  aston- 


278    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

ished  Nettie,  her  face  growing  more  and  more 
bewildered  as  he  continued  his  merry  descrip- 
tion. 

"  Come  out  and  see.  It  is  a  new  house,  I  tell 
you ;  I  built  it  yesterday ;  that  is  the  reason  I 
did  not  come  to  help  yon  about  the  bonnet. 
Didn't  you  miss  me?  Sarah  Ann  thinks  it  is 
actually  nicer  than  the  one  Miss  Sherrill  wore." 
And  he  broke  into  a  merry  laugh,  checking  him- 
self to  urge  Nettie  once  more  to  come  out  and 
see  his  treasures. 

"  Well,"  said  Nettie,  u  wait  until  I  cover  the 
potatoes,  and  set  the  teakettle  off."  This  done 
she  went  in  haste  and  eagerness  to  discover  what 
was  taking  place  behind  Job  Smith's  barn.  A 
hen  and  chickens !  Beautiful  little  yellow  dar- 
lings, racing  about  as  though  they  were  crazy ; 
and  a  speckled  mother  clucking  after  them  in  a 
dignified  way,  pretending  to  have  authority  over 
them,  when  one  could  see  at  a  glance  that  they 
did  exactly  as  they  pleased. 

Then  came  a  storm  of  questions.  "  Where  ? 
and  When  ?  and  Why  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  stock  company  concern,"  exclaimed 
Jerry,  his  merry  eyes  dancing  with  pleasure. 
Nettie  was  fully  as  astonished  and  pleased  as  he 


A   WILL   AND    A    WAY.  279 

had  hoped.  "  Don't  you  know  I  told  you  yester- 
day we  must  plan  a  way  to  earn  money  ?  This 
is  one  way,  planned  for  'us.  We  own  Mrs. 
Biddy ;  every  feather  on  her  knot,  of  which  she 
is  so  proud,  belongs  to  us,  and  she  must  not  only 
earn  her  own  living  and  that  of  her  children,  but 
bring  us  in  a  nice  profit  besides.  Those  are 
plump  little  fellows;  I  can  imagine  them  making 
lovely  pot  pies  for  some  one  who  is  willing  to 
pay  a  good  price  for  them.  Cannot  you  ?  " 

"  Poor  little  chickens,"  said  Nettie  in  such  a 
mournful  tone  that  Jerry  went  off  into  shouts  of 
laughter.  He  was  a  humane  boy,  but  he  could 
not  help  thinking  it  very  funny  that  anybody 
should  sigh  over  the  thought  of  a  chicken  pot 
pie. 

"Oh,  I  know  they  are  to  eat,"  Nettie  said, 
smiling  in  answer  to  his  laughter,  "  and  I  know 
how  to  make  nice  crust  for  pot  pie ;  but  for  all 
that,  I  cannot  help  feeling  sort  of  sorry  for  the 
pretty  fluffy  chickens.  Are  you  going  to  fat 
them  all,  to  eat ;  or  raise  some  of  them  to  lay 
eggs?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  we  are  going  to  do,  yet," 
Jerry  said  with  pointed  emphasis  on  the  we. 
"You  see,  we  have  not  had  time  to  consult ;  this 


280      LITTLE    FJSHEES  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

is  a  company  concern,  I  told  you.  What  do  you 
think  about  it?" 

Nettie's  cheeks  began  to  grow  a  deep  pink  ; 
she  looked  down  at  the  hurrying  chickens  with 
a  grave  face  for  a  moment,  then  said  gently : 
"  You  know,  Jerry,  I  haven't  any  money  to  help 
buy  the  chickens,  and  I  cannot  help  own  what  I 
do  not  help  buy ;  they  are  your  chickens,  but  I 
shall  like  to  watch  them  and  help  you  plan  about 
them." 

Jerry  sat  down  on  an  old  nail  keg,  crossed 
one  foot  over  the  other,  and  clasped  his  hands 
over  his  knees,  as  Job  Smith  was  fond  of  doing, 
and  prepared  for  argument : 

"  Now,  see  here,  Nettie  Decker,  let  us  under- 
stand each  other  once  for  all ;  I  thought  we  had 
gone  into  partnership  in  this  whole  business ; 
that  we  were  to  fight  that  old  fiend  Rum,  in 
every  possible  way  we  could ;  and  were  to  help 
each  other  plan,  and  work  all  the  time,  and  in  all 
ways  we  possibly  could.  Now  if  you  are  tired 
of  me  and  want  to  work  alone,  why,  I  mustn't 
force  myself  upon  you." 

"O,  Jerry!"  came  in  a  reproachful  murmur 
from  Nettie,  whose  cheeks  were  now  flaming. 

"  Well,  what  is  a  fellow  to  do  ?    You  see  you 


A  WILL  AND   A   WAY.  281 

hurt  ray  feelings  worse  than  old  Mother  Topknot 
did  this  morning  when  she  pecked  me  ;  I  want 
to  belong,  and  I  mean  to ;  but  all  that  kind  of 
talk  about  helping  to  buy  these  half-dozen  little 
puff-balls  is  all  nonsense,  and  a  girl  of  your 
sense  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  it." 

Said  Nettie,  "O,  Jerry,  I  smell  the  potatoes; 
they  are  scorching!"  and  she  ran  away.  Jerry 
looked  after  her  a  moment,  as  though  astonished 
at  the  sudden  change  of  subject,  then  laughed, 
and  rising  slowly  from  the  nail-keg  addressed 
himself  to  the  hen. 

"  Now,  Mother  Topknot,  I  want  you  to  un- 
derstand that  you  belong  to  the  firm  ;  that  little 
woman  who  was  just  here  is  your  mistress,  and 
if  you  peck  her  and  scratch  her  as  you  did  me, 
this  morning,  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you.  You 
are  just  like  some  people  I  have  seen ;  haven't 
sense  enough  to  know  who  is  your  best  friend  ; 
why,  there  is  no  end  to  the  nice  little  bits  she 
will  contrive  for  you  and  your  children,  if  you 
\>ehave  yourself ;  for  that  matter,  I  suspect  she 
would  do  it  whether  you  behaved  yourself  or 
not ;  but  that  part  it  is  quite  as  well  you  should 
not  understand.  I  want  you  to  bring  these  chil- 
dren up  to  take  care  of  themselves,  just  as  soon 


282      LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

as  you  can ;  and  then  you  are  to  give  your  at- 
tention to  laying  a  nice  fresh  egg  every  morn- 
ing; and  the  sooner  you  begin,  the  better  we 
shall  like  it."  Then  he  went  in  to  breakfast. 

There  was  no  need  to  say  anything  mor«» 
about  the  partnership.  Nettie  seemed  to  come, 
to  the  conclusion  that  she  must  be  ashamed 
of  herself  or  her  pride  in  the  matter ;  and  after 
a  very  short  time  grew  accustomed  to  hearing 
Jerry  talk  about  "Our  chicks,"  and  dropped 
into  the  fashion  of  caring  for  and  planning  about 
them.  None  the  less  was  she  i-esolved  to  find 
some  way  of  earning  a  little  money  for  her  share 
of  the  stock  company.  Curiously  enough  it  was 
Susie  and  little  Sate  who  helped  again.  They 
came  in  one  morning,  with  their  hands  full  of  the 
lovely  field  daisies.  The  moment  Nettie  looked 
at  the  two  little  faces,  she  knew  that  a  dispute 
of  some  sort  was  in  progi-ess.  Susie's  lips  were 
curved  with  that  air  of  superior  wisdom,  not  to 
say  scorn,  which  she  knew  how  to  assume ;  and 
little  Sate's  eyes  were  full  of  the  half-grieved  but 
wholly  positive  look  which  they  could  wear  on 
occasion. 

"What  is  it?"  Nettie  asked,  stopping  on  her 
way  to  the  cellar  with  a  nice  little  pat  of  butter 


A   WILL   AND   A   WAT.  283 

which  she  was  saving  for  her  father's  supper. 
Butter  was  a  luxury  which  she  had  decided  the 
children  at  least,  herself  included,  must  not  ex- 
pect every  day. 

"Why,"  said  Susie,  her  eyes  flashing  her  con- 
tempt of  the  whole  thing,  "she  says  these  are 
folks;  old  women  with  caps,  and  eyes,  and 
noses,  and  everything;  she  says  they  look  at 
her,  and  some  of  them  are  pleasant,  and  some 
are  cross.  She  is  too  silly  for  anything.  They 
don't  look  the  least  bit  in  the  word  like  old 
women.  I  told  her  so,  fifty-eleven  times,  and 
she  keeps  saying  it !  " 

Nettie  held  out  her  hand  for  the  bunch  of 
daisies,  looked  at  them  carefully,  and  laughed. 

"  Can't  you  see  them  ?  "  was  little  Sate's  eager 
question.  "  They  are  just  as  plain  !  Don't  you 
see  them  a  little  bit  of  a  speck,  Nannie  ?  " 

"  Of  course  she  doesn't ! "  said  scornful  Susie. 
"  Nobody  but  a  silly  baby  like  you  would  think 
of  such  a  thing." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Nettie,  still  smiling,  "  I 
don't  think  I  see  them  as  plain  as  Sate  does,  but 
maybe  we  can,  after  awhile ;  wait  till  I  get  my 
butter  put  away,  and  I'll  put  on  my  spectacles 
and  see  what  I  can  find." 


284    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

So  the  two  waited,  Susie  incredulous  and  dis- 
gusted, Sate  with  a  hopeful  light  in  her  eyes, 
which  made  Nettie  very  anxious  to  find  the  old 
ladies.^  On  her  way  up  stairs  she  felt  in  her 
pocket  for  the  pencil  Jerry  had  sharpened  with 
such  care  the  evening  before ;  yes,  it  was  there, 
and  the  point  was  safe.  Jerry  had  made  a  neat 
little  tube  of  soft  wood  for  it  to  slip  into,  and 
so  protect  itself. 

"  Now,  let  us  look  for  the  old  lady,"  she  said, 
taking  a  daisy  in  hand  and  retiring  to  the  closet 
window  for  inspection ;  it  was  the  work  of  a 
moment  for  her  fingers  which  often  ached  for 
such  work,  to  fashion  a  pair  of  eyes,  a  nose,  and 
a  mouth ;  and  then  to  turn  down  the  white 
petals  for  a  cap  border,  leaving  two  under  the 
chin  for  strings  ! 

"  Does  your  old  lady  look  anything  like  that  ?  " 
she  questioned,  as  she  came  out  from  her  hiding 
place.  Little  Sate  looked,  and  clasped  her 
hands  in  an  ecstacy  of  delight :  "  Look,  Susie, 
look,  quick!  there  she  is,  just  as  plain!  O 
Nannie  !  I'm  so  glad  you  found  her." 

"  Humph  !  "  said  Susie,  "  she  made  her  with  a 
pencil;  she  wasn't  there  at  all;  and  there 
couldn't  nobody  have  found  her.  So !  " 


A   WILL  AND   A   WAT.  285 

And  to  this  day,  I  suppose  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  make  Susie  Decker  believe  that  the 
spirits  of  beautiful  old  ladies  hid  in  the  daisies  I 
Some  people  cannot  see  things,  you  know,  show 
them  as  much  as  you  may. 

But  Nettie  was  charmed  with  the  little  old 
woman.  She  left  the  potatoes  waiting  to  be 
washed,  and  sat  down  on  the  steps  with  eager 
little  Sate,  and  made  old  lady  after  old  lady. 
Some  with  spectacles,  and  some  without.  Some 
with  smooth  hair  drawn  quietly  back  from  quiet 
foreheads,  some  with  the  old-fashioned  puffs  and 
curls  which  she  had  seen  in  old,  old  pictures  of 
"  truly  "  grandmothers.  What  fun  they  had  ! 
The  potatoes  came  near  being  forgotten  entirely. 
It  was  the  faithful  old  clock  in  Mrs.  Smith's 
kitchen  which  finally  clanged  out  the  hour  and 
made  Nettie  rise  in  haste,  scattering  old  ladies 
right  and  left.  But  little  Sate  gathered  them, 
every  one,  holding  them  with  as  careful  hand  as 

% 

though  she  feared  a  rough  touch  would  really 
hurt  their  feelings,  and  went  out  to  hunt  Susie 
and  soothe  her  ruffled  dignity.  She  did  not  find 
Susie ;  that  young  woman  was  helping  Jerry  nail 
laths  on  the  chicken  coop  ;  but  she  found  her 
sweet-faced  Sabbath-school  teacher,  who  was 


286      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

sure  to  stop  and  kiss  the  child,  whenever  she 
passed.  To  her,  Sate  at  once  showed  the  sweet 
old  women.  "Nannie  found  them,"  she  ex- 
plained ;  "  Susie  could  not  see  them  at  all,  and 
she  kept  saying  they  were  not  there ;  but  Nan- 
nie said  she  would  make  them  look  plainer  so 
Susie  could  see,  and  now  Susie  thinks  she  made 
them  out  of  a  pencil ;  but  they  were  there,  be- 
fore, I  saw  them." 

"  Oh,  you  quaint  little  darling ! "  said  Miss 
Sherrill, -kissing  her  again.  "And  so  your  sis- 
ter Nettie  made  them  plainer  for  you.  I  must 
say  she  has  done  it  with  a  skilful  hand.  Sate 
dear,  would  you  give  one  little  old  woman  to 
me  ?  Just  one ;  this  dear  old  face  with  puffs,  I 
want  her  very  much." 

So  Sate  gazed  at  her  with  wistful,  tender  eyes, 
kissed  her  tenderly,  and  let  Miss  Sherrill  carry 
her  away. 

She  carried  her  straight  to  the  minister's 
study,  and  laid  her  on  the  open  page  of  a  great 
black  commentary  which  he  was  studying. 
"Did  you  ever  see  anything  so  cunning?  That 
little  darling  of  a  Sate  says  Nannie  *  found '  her ; 
she  doesn't  seem  to  think  it  was  made,  but  sim- 
ply developed,  you  know,  so  that  commoner 


A   WILL   AND    A    WAY.  287 

eyes  than  hers  could  see  it ;  that  child  was  born 
for  a  poet,  or  an  artist,  I  don't  know  which. 
Tremayne,  I'm  going  to  take  this  down  to  the 
flower  committee,  and  get  them  to  invite  Net- 
tie to  make  some  bouquets  of  dear  old  grand- 
mothers, and  let  little  Sate  come  to  the  flower 
party  and  sell  them.  Won't  that  be  lovely? 
Every  gentleman  there  will  want  a  bouquet  of 
the  nice  old  ladies  in  caps,  and  spectacles ;  we 
will  make  it  the  fashion ;  then  they  will  sell 
beautifully,  and  the  little  merchant  shall  go 
shares  on  the  proceeds,  for  the  sake  of  her  artist 
sister." 

"  It  is  a  good  idea,"  said  the  minister.  "  I  in- 
fer from  what  that  handsome  boy  Jerry  has 
told  me,  that  they  have  some  scheme  on  hand 
which  requires  money.  I  am  very  much  inter- 
ested in  those  young  people,  my  dear.  I  wish 
you  would  keep  a  watch  on  them,  and  lend  a 
helping  hand  when  you  can." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

AN    OEDEAL. 

was  the  way  it  came  about  that  little 
-*-  Sate  not  only,  but  Susie  and  Nettie,  went 
to  the  flower  party. 

They  had  not  expected  to  do  any  such  thing. 
The  little  girls,  who  were  not  used  to  going  any 
where,  had  paid  no  attention  to  the  announce- 
ments on  Sunday,  and  Nettie  had  heard  as  one 
with  whom  such  things  had  nothing  in  com- 
mon. Her  treatment  in  the  Sabbath-school  was 
not  such  as  to  make  her  long  for  the  compan- 
ionship of  the  girls  of  her  age,  and  by  this  time 
she  knew  that  her  dress  at  the  flower  party 
would  be  sure  to  command  more  attention  than 
was  pleasant ;  so  she  had  planned  as  a  matter  of 
course  to  stay  away. 

But  the  little  old  ladies  in  their  caps  and  spec- 
tacles springing  into  active  life,  put  a  new  face 
on  the  matter.  Certainly  no  more  astonished 
288 


AN    ORDEAL.  289 

young  person  can  be  imagined  than  Nettie 
Decker  was,  the  morning  Miss  Sherrill  called  on 
her,  the  one  daisy  she  had  begged  still  carefully 
preserved,  and  proposed  her  plan  of  partnership 
in  the  flower  party. 

"  It  will  add  ever  so  much  to  the  fun,"  she 
explained,  "besides  bringing  you  a  nice  little 
sum  for  your  spending  money." 

Did  Miss  Sherrill  have  any  idea  how  far  that 
argument  would  reach  just  now,  Nettie  won- 
dered. 

"  We  can  dress  the  little  girls  in  daisies,"  con- 
tinued their  teacher.  "  Little  Sate  will  look  like 
a  flower  herself,  with  daisies  wreathed  about  her 
dress  and  hair." 

"  Little  Sate  will  be  afraid,  I  think,"  Nettie 
objected.  "  She  is  very  timid,  and  not  used  to 
seeing  many  people." 

"  But  with  Susie  she  will  not  mind,  will  she? 
Susie  has  assurance  enough  to  take  her  through 
anything.  Oh,  I  wonder  if  little  Sate  would  not 
recite  a  verse  about  the  daisy  grandmothers? 
I  have  such  a  cunning  one  for  her.  May  I  teach 
her,  Mrs.  Decker,  and  see  if  I  can  get  her  to 
learn  it  ?  " 

Mrs.  Decker's  consent  was  very  easy  to  gain  ; 


290       LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

indeed  it  had  been  freely  given  in  Mrs.  Decker's 
heart  before  it  was  asked .  For  Miss  Sherrill  had 
not  been  in  the  room  five  minutes  before  she 
had  said :  "  Your  son,  Norman,  I  believe  his 
name  is,  has  promised  to  help  my  brother  with 
the  church  flowers  this  evening.  My  brother 
says  he  is  an  excellent  helper  ;  his  eye  is.so  true  ; 
they  had  quite  a  laugh  together,  last  week.  It 
seems  one  of  the  wreaths  was  not  hung  plumb  ; 
your  son  and  my  brother  had  an  argument  about 
it,  and  it  was  finally  left  as  my  brother  had 
placed  it,  but  was  out  of  line  several  inches.  He 
was  obliged  to  admit  that  if  he  had  followed 
Norman's  direction  it  would  have  looked  much 
better."  After  that,  it  would  have  been  hard 
for  Miss  Sherrill  to  have  asked  a  favor  which 
Mrs.  Decker  would  not  grant  if  she  could.  She 
saw  through  it  all ;  these  people  were  in  league 
with  Nettie,  to  try  to  save  her  boy.  What 
wasn't  she  ready  to  do  at  their  bidding  ! 

There  was  but  one  thing  about  which  she  was 
positive.  The  little  girls  could  not  go  without 
Nettie ;  they  talked  it  over  in  the  evening,  after 
Miss  Sherrill  was  gone.  Nettie  looked  dis- 
tressed. She  liked  to  please  Miss  Sherrill ;  she 
was  willing  to  make  many  grandmothers  ;  she 


AN   ORDEAL.  291 

would  help  to  put  the  little  girls  in  as  dainty 
attire  as  possible,  but  she  did  not  want  to  go  to 
the  flower  festival.  She  planned  various  ways ; 
Jerry  would  take  them  down,  or  Norm  ;  per- 
haps even  he  would  go  with  them ;  surely 
mother  would  be  willing  to  have  them  go  with 
Norm.  Miss  Sherrill  would  look  after  them 
carefully,  and  they  would  come  home  at  eight 
o'clock ;  before  they  began  to  grow  very  sleepy. 
But  no,  Mrs.  Decker  was  resolved  ;  she  could 
not  let  them  go  unless  Nettie  would  go  with 
them  and  bring  them  home.  "I  let  one  child 
run  the  streets,"  she  said  with  a  heavy  sigh, 
"and  I  have  lived  to  most  wish  he  had  died 
when  he  was  a  baby,  before  I  did  it ;  and  I  said 
then  I  would  never  let  another  one  go  out  of  my 
sight  as  long  as  I  had  control ;  I  can't  go ;  but 
I  would  just  as  soon  they  would  be  with  you  as 
with  me ;  and  unless  you  go,  they  can't  stir  a 
step,  and  that's  the  whole  of  it."  Mrs.  Decker 
was  a  very  determined  woman  when  she  set  out 
to  be  ;  and  Nettie  looked  the  picture  of  dismay. 
It  did  not  seem  possible  to  her  to  go  to  a  flower 
party ;  and  on  the  other  hand  it  seemed  really 
dreadful  to  thwart  Miss  Sherrill.  Jerry  sat  lis- 
tening, saying  little,  but  the  word  he  put  in  now 


292      LITTLE   FISHERS  :    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

and  then,  was  on  Mrs.  Decker's  side ;  he  owned 
to  himself  that  he  never  so  entirely  approved  of 
her  as  at  that  moment.  He  wanted  Nettie  to 
go  to  the  flower  party. 

"But  I  have  nothing  to  wear?"  said  Nettie, 
blushing,  and  almost  weeping. 

"  Nothing  to  wear ! "  repeated   Mrs.  Decker 

• 

in  honest  astonishment.  "  Why,  what  do  you 
wear  on  Sundays,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  I'm 
sure  you  look  as  neat  and  nice  as  any  girl  I  ever 
saw,  in  your  gingham.  I  was  watching  you  last 
Sunday  and  thinking  how  pretty  it  was." 

"Yes;  but,  mother,  they  all  wear  white  at 
such  places ;  and  I  cut  up  my  white  dress,  you 
know,  for  the  little  girls  ;  it  was  rather  short  for 
me  anyway;  brft  I  should  feel  queer  in  any  other 
color." 

"O,  well,"  said  Mrs.  Decker  in  some  irrita- 
tion, "  if  they  go  to  such  places  to  show  their 
clothes,  why,  I  suppose  you  must  stay  at  home, 
if  you  have  none  that  you  want  to  show.  I 
thought,  being  it  was  a  church,  it  didn't  matter, 
so  you  were  neat  and  clean  ;  but  churches  are 
like  everything  else,  it  seems,  places  for  show." 

Jerry  looked  grave  disapproval  at  Nettie,  but 
she  felt  injured  and  could  have  cried.  Was  it 


AN   ORDEAL.  293 

fair  to  accuse  her  of  going  to  church  to  show  her 
clothes,  or  of  being  over-particular,  when  she 
went  every  Sunday  in  a  blue  and  white  gingham 
such  as  no  other  girl  in  her  class  would  wear 
even  to  school  ?  This  was  not  church,  it  was  a 
party.  It  was  hard  that  she  must  be  blamed 
for  pride,  when  she  was  only  too  glad  to  stay  at 
home  from  it. 

"I  can't  go  in  my  blue  dress,  and  that  is  the 
whole  of  it,"  she  said  at  last,  a  good  deal  of 
decision  in  her  voice. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Mrs  Decker.  "  Then  we'll 
say  no  more  about  it ;  as  for  the  little  girls 
going  without  you,  they  sha'n't  do  it.  When  I 
set  my  foot  down,  it's  down" 

Jerry  instinctively  looked  down  at  her  foot 
as  she  spoke.  It  was  a  good-sized  one,  and 
looked  as  though  it  could  set  firmly  on  any  ques- 
tion on  which  it  was  put.  His  heart  began  to 
fail  him;  the  flower  party  and  certain  things 
which  he  hoped  to  accomplish  thereby,  were 
fading.  He  took  refuge  with  Mrs.  Smith  to 
hide  his  disappointment,  and  also  to  learn  wis- 
dom about  this  matter  of  dress. 

"Do  clothes  make  such  a  very  great  differ- 
ence to  girls?"  was  his  first  question. 


294      LITTLE   FISHEKS:    AND    THEIR  NETS. 

"Difference?"  said  Mrs.  Smith  rubbing  a  lit- 
tle more  flour  on  her  hands,  and  plunging  them 
again  into  the  sticky  mass  she  was  kneading. 

"  Yes'm.  They  seem  to  think  of  clothes  the 
first  thing,  when  there  is  any  place  to  go  to ; 
boys  aren't  that  way.  I  don't  believe  a  boy 
knows  whether  his  coat  ought  to  be  brown  or 
green.  What  makes  the  difference  ?  " 

Mrs.  Smith  laughed  a  little.  "Well,"  she 
said  reflectively,  "  there  is  a  difference,  now 
that's  a  fact.  I  noticed  it  time  and  again  when 
I  was  living  with  Mrs.  Jennison.  Dick  would 
go  off  with  whatever  he  happened  to  have  on; 
and  Florence  was  always  in  a  flutter  as  to 
whether  she  looked  as  well  as  the  rest.  I've 
heard  folks  say  that  it  is  the  fault  of  the 
mothers,  because  they  make  such  a  fuss  over  the 
girls'  clothes,  and  keep  rigging  them  up  in  some- 
thing bright,  just  to  make  'em  look  pretty,  till 
they  succeed  in  making  them  think  there  isn't 
anything  quite  so  important  in  life  as  what  they 
wear  on  their  backs.  It's  all  wrong,  I  believe. 
But  then,  Nettie  ain't  one  of  that  kind.  She 
hasn't  had  any  mother  to  perk  her  up  and  make 
her  vain.  I  shouldn't  think  she  would  be  one 
to  care  about  clothes  much.'* 


AN  OBDEAL.  295 

"  She  doesn't,"  said  Jerry  firmly.  "  I  don't 
think  she  would  care  if  other  folks  didn't.  The 
girls  in  her  class  act  hatefully  to  her;  they  don't 
speak,  if  they  can  help  it.  I  suppose  it's  clothes; 
I  don't  know  what  else  ;  they  are  always  rigged 
out  like  hollyhocks  or  tulips  ;  they  make  fun  of 
her,  I  guess ;  and  that  isn't  very  pleasant." 

"  Is  that  the  reason  she  won't  go  to  the  flower 
show  next  week  ?  " 

"Yes'm,  that's  the  reason.  All  the  girls  are 
going  to  dress  in  white ;  I  suppose  she  thinks 
she  will  look  queerly,  and  be  talked  about.  J3ut 
I  don't  understand  it.  Seems  to  me  if  all  the 
boys  were  going  to  wear  blue  coats,  and  I  knew 
it,  I'd  just  as  soon  wear  my  gray  one  if  gray  was 
respectable." 

"  She  ought  to  have  a  white  dress,  now  that's 
a  fact,"  said  Mrs.  Smith  with  energy,  patting 
her  brown  loaf,  and  tucking  it  down  into  the  tin 
in  a  skilful  way.  "  It  isn't  much  for  a  girl  like 
her  to  want ;  if  her  father  was  the  kind  of  man 
he  ought  to  be,  she  might  have  a  white  dress  for 
best,  as  well  as  not ;  I've  no  patience  with  him." 

"  Her  father  hasn't  drank  a  drop  this  week," 
said  Jerry. 

"  Hasn't ;  well,  I'm  glad  of  it ;  but  I'm  think- 


296    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

ing  of  what  he  has  done,  and  what  he  will  go 
and  do,  as  likely  as  not,  next  week ;  they  might 
be  as  forehanded  as  any  folks  I  know  of,  if  he 
was  what  he  ought  to  be ;  there  isn't  a  better 
workman  in  the  town.  Well,  you  don't  care 
much  about  the  flower  party,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  I  don't  now,"  said  Jerry,  wearily.  "  "When 
I  thought  the  little  girls  were  going,  I  had  a  plan. 
Sate  is  such  a  little  thing,  she  would  be  sure  to 
be  half-asleep  by  eight  o'clock  ;  and  I  was  going 
to  coax  Norm  to' come  for  her,  and  we  carry  her 
home  between  us.  Norm  won't  go  to  a  flower 
party,  out  and  out ;  but  he  is  good-natured,  and 
was  beginning  to  think  a  great  deal  of  Sate ; 
then  I  thought  Mr.  SheiTill  would  speak  to  him. 
The  more  we  can  get  Norm  to  feeling  he  be- 
longs in  such  places,  the  less  he  will  feel. like  be- 
longing to  the  corner  groceries,  and  the  streets." 

"  I  see,"  said  Mrs;  Smith  admiringly.  "  Well, 
I  do  say  I  didn't  think  Nettie  was  the  kind  of 
girl  to  put  a  white  dress  between  her  chances 
of  helping  folks.  Sarah  Ann  thinks  she's  a  real 
true  Christian  ;  but  Satan  does  seem  to  be  into 
the  clothes  business  from  beginning  to  end." 

"  I  don't  suppose  it  is  any  easier  for  a  Chris- 
tian to  be  laughed  at  and  slighted,  than  it  is  for 


AN   ORDEAL.  297 

other  people,"  said  Jerry,  inclined  to  resent  the 
idea  that  Nettie  was  not  showing  the  right  spirit ; 
although  in  his  heart  he  was  disappointed  in  her 
for  caring  so  much  about  the  color  of  her  dress. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,"  said  Mrs. 
Smith,  stopping  in  the  act  of  tucking  her  bread 
under  the  blankets,  to  look  full  at  Jerry,  "  why, 
they  even  made  fun  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
dressed  him  up  in  purple,  like  a  king,  and 
mocked  at  him  !  When  it  comes  to  remember- 
ing that,  it  would  seem  as  if  any  common  Chris- 
tian might  be  almost  glad  of  a  chance  to  be  made 
fun  of,  just  to  stand  in  the  same  lot  with  him." 

This  was  a  new  thought  to  Jerry.  He  studied 
it  for  awhile  in  silence.  Now  it  so  happened 
that  neither  Mrs.  Smith  nor  Jerry  remembered 
certain  facts ;  one  was  that  Mrs.  Smith's  kitchen 
window  was  in  a  line  with  Mrs.  Decker's  bed- 
room window,  where  Nettie  had  gone  to  sit  . 
while  she  mended  Norm's  shirt ;  the  other  was 
that  a  gentle  breeze  was  blowing,  which  brought 
their  words  distinctly  to  Nettie's  ears.  At  first 
she  had  not  noticed  the  talk,  busy  with  her  own 
thoughts,  then  she  heard  her  name,  and  paused 
needle  in  hand,  to  wonder  what  was  being  said 
about  her.  Then,  coming  to  her  senses,  she  de* 


298      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

termined  to  leave  the  room ;  but  her  mother, 
for  convenience,  had  pushed  her  ironing  table 
against  the  bedroom  door,  and  then  had  gone  to 
the  yard  in  search  of  chips  ;  Nettie  was  a  pris- 
oner; she  tried  to  push  the  table  by  pushing 
against  the  door,  but  the  floor  was  uneven,  and 
the  table  would  not  move  ;  meantime  the  con- 
versation going  on  across  the  alleyway,  came 
distinctly  to  her.  No  use  to  cough,  they  were 
too  much  interested  to  hear  her.  By  and  by  she 
grew  so  interested  as  to  forget  that  the  words 
were  not  intended  for  her  to  hear.  There  were 
more  questions  involved  in  this  matter  of  dress 
than  she  had  thought  about.  Her  cheeks  began  to 
burn  a  little  with  the  thought  that  her  neighbor 
had  been  planning  help  for  Norm,  which  she 
was  blocking  because  she  had  no  white  dress  ! 
This  was  an  astonishment !  She  had  not  known 
she  was  proud.  In  fact,  she  had  thought  herself 
very  humble,  and  worthy  of  commendation  be- 
cause she  went  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  to  the 
school  in  the  same  blue  and  white  dress,  not  so 
fresh  now  by  a  great  deal  as  when  she  first 
came  home. 

When  Mrs.  Smith  reached  the  sentence  which 
told  of  the  Lord  Jesus  being  robed  in  purple, 


AN   ORDEAL.  299 

and  crowned  with  thorns,  and  mocked,  two  great 
tears  fell  on  Norm's  shirt  sleeve. 

It  was  a  very  gentle  little  girl  who  moved 
about  the  kitchen  getting  early  tea ;  Mrs.  Decker 
glanced  at  her  from  time  to  time  in  a  bewildered 
way.  The  sort  of  girl  with  whom  she  was  best 
acquainted  would  have  slammed  things  about  a 
little ;  both  because  she  had  not  clothes  to  wear 
like  other  children,  and  because  she  had  been 
blamed  for  not  wanting  to  do  what  was  expected 
of  her.  But  Nettie's  face  had  no  trace  of  anger, 
her  movements  were  gentleness  itself ;  her  voice 
when  she  spoke  was  low  and  sweet :  "  Mother,  I 
will  take  the  little  girls,  if  you  will  let  them  go." 

Mrs.  Decker  drew  a  relieved  sigh.  "  I'd  like 
them  to  go  because  she  asked  to  have  them  ;  and 
I  can  see  plain  enough  she  is  trying  to  get  hold 
of  Norm  ;  BO  is  he;  that's  what  helping  with  the 
flowers  means ;  and  there  ain't  anything  I  ain't 
willing  to  do  to  help,  only  I  couldn't  let  the  little 
girls  go  without  you ;  they'd  be  scared  to  death, 
and  it  wouldn't  look  right.  I'm  sorry  enough 
you  ain't  got  suitable  clothes ;  if  I  could  help  it, 
you  should  have  as  good  as  the  best  of  them." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Nettie,  "  I  don't  think  I 
care  anything  about  the  dress  now."  She  was 


300    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

thinking  of  that  crown  of  thorns.  So  when  Miss 
Sherrill  called  the  way  was  plain  and  little  Sate 
ready  to  be  taught  anything  she  would  teach 
her. 

They  went  away  down  to  the  pond  under  the 
clump  of  trees  which  formed  such  a  pretty  shade ; 
and  there  Sate's  slow  sweet  voice  said  over  the 
lines  as  they  were  told  to  her,  putting  in  many 
questions  which  the  words  suggested.  "  He  makes 
the  flowTers  blow,"  she  repeated  with  thoughtful 
face,  then  :  "  What  did  He  make  them  for?" 

"  I  think  it  was  because  He  loved  them ;  and 
He  likes  to  give  you  and  me  sweet  and  pleasant 
things  to  look  at." 

"  Does  He  love  flowers  ?  " 

"I  think  so,  darling." 

"  And  birds  ?  See  the  birds ! "  For  at  that 
moment  two  beauties  standing  on  the  edge  of 
their  nest,  looked  down  into  the  clear  water,  and 
seeing  themselves  reflected  in  its  smoothness  be- 
gan to  talk  in  low  sweet  chirps  to  their  shadows. 

"  Oh,  yes,  He  loves  the  birds,  I  am  sure  ;  think 
how  many  different  kinds  He  has  made,  and  how 
beautiful  they  are.  Then  He  has  given  them 
sweet  voices,  and  they  are  thanking  Him  as  well 
as  they  know  how,  for  all  his  goodness.  Listen." 


AN  OEDEAL.  301 

Sure  enough,  one  of  the  little  birds  hopped 
back  a  trifle,  balanced  himself  well  on  the  nest, 
and,  putting  up  his  little  throat,  trilled  a  lovely 
song. 

"  What  does  he  say  ?  "  asked  Sate,  watching 
him  intently. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  said  Miss  Sherrill,  with 
a  little  laugh.  Sate  was  taxing  her  powers 
rather  too  much.  "  But  God  understands,  you 
know ;  and  I  am  sure  the  words  are  very  sweet 
to  him." 

Sate  reflected  over  this  for  a  minute,  then 
went  back  to  the  flowers. 

"What  made  Him  put  the  colors  on  them? 
Does  He  like  to  see  pretty  colors,  do  you  sink? 
Which  color  does  He  like  just  the  very  bestest 
of  all?" 

"O  you  darling!  I  don't  know  that,  either. 
Perhaps,  crimson ;  or,  no,  I  think  He  must  like 
pure  white  ones  a  little  the  best.  But  He  likes 
little  human  flowers  the  best  of  all.  Little  white 
flowers  with  souls.  Do  you  know  what  I  mean, 
darling  ?  White  hearts  are  given  to  the  little 
children  who  try  all  the  time  to  do  right,  because 
they  love  Jesus,  and  want  to  please  him." 

"  Sate  wants  to,"  said  the  little  girl  earnestly. 


302      LITTLE   FISHERS:    AND   THEIE  NETS. 

"  Sate  loves  Jesus ;  and  she  would  like  to  kiss 
him." 

"I  do  not  know  but  you  shall,  some  day. 
Now  shall  we  take  another  line  of  the  hymn  ?  " 
continued  her  teacher. 

"  I  tried  to  teach  her,"  explained  Miss  Sherrill 
to  her  brother.  "But  I  think,  after  all,  she 
taught  me  the  most.  She  is  the  dearest  little 
thing,  and  asks  the  strangest  questions !  When 
I  look  at  her  grave,  sweet  face,  and  hear  her  slow, 
sweet  voice  making  wise  answers,  and  asking 
wise  questions,  a  sort  of  baby  wisdom,  you 
know,  I  can  only  repeat  over  and  over  the 
words : 

" '  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 

"  To-day  I  told  her  the  story  of  Jesus  taking 
the  little  children  up  in  his  arms  and  blessing 
them.  She  listened  with  that  thoughtful  look  in 
her  eyes  which  is  so  wonderful,  then  suddenly 
she  held  up  her  pretty  arms  and  said  in  the 
most  coaxing  tones : 

" c  Take  little  Sate  to  Him,  and  let  Him  bless 
her,  yight  away.' 

"Tremaine,  I  could  hardly  keep  back  the 
tears.  Do  you  think  He  can  be  going  to  call 
her  soon  ?  " 


AX   OEDEAL.  303 

"Not  necessarily  at  all.  There  is  no  reason 
why  a  little  child  should  not  live  very  close  to 
Him  on  earth.  I  hope  that  little  girl  has  a  great 
work  to  do  for  Christ  in  this  world.  She  has  a 
very  sweet  face." 


CHAPTER  XVH. 

THE   FLOWEB  PAKTT. 

T    DARE    say    some    of    yon    think   Nettie 
Decker  was  a  very  silly  girl  to  care   so 
much  because  her  dress  was  a  blue  and  white 
gingham  instead  of  being  all  white. 

You  .have  told  your  friend  Katie  about  the 
story  and  asked  her  if  she  didn't  think  it  was 
real  silly  to  make  such  an  ado  over  clothes  ;  you 
have  said  you  were  sure  you  would  just  as  soon 
wear  a  blue  gingham  as  not  if  it  was  clean  and 
neat.  But  now  let  me  venture  a  hint.  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  that  was  because  you 
never  do  have  to  go  to  places  differently  dressed 
from  all  the  others.  Because  if  you  did,  you 
would  know  that  it  was  something  -of  a  trial. 
Oh !  I  don't  say  it  is  the  hardest  thing  in  the 
world  ;  or  that  one  is  all  ready  to  die  as  a  mar- 
tyr who  does  it ;  but  what  I  do  say  is,  that  it 
takes  a  little  moral  courage  ;  and,  for  one,  I  am 
3°4 


THE   FLOWER    PARTY.  305 

not  surprised  that  Nettie  looked  very  sober 
about  it  when  the  afternoon  came. 

It  took  her  a  good  while  to  dress ;  not  that 
there  was  so  much  to  be  done,  but  she  stopped 
to  think.  "With  her  hair  in  her  neck,  still  un- 
braided,  she  pinned  a  lovely  pink  rose  at  her 
breast  just  to  see  how  pretty  it  would  look  for  a 
minute.  Miss  Sherrill  had  left  it  for  her  to 
wear  ;  but  she  did  not  intend  to  wear  it,  because 
she  thought  it  would  not  match  well  with 
her  gingham  dress.  Just  here,  I  don't  mind 
owning  that  I  think  her  silly ;  because  I  be- 
lieve that  sweet  flowers  go  with  sweet  pure 
young  faces,  whether  the  dress  is  of  gingham 
or  silk. 

But  Nettie  looked  grave,  as  I  said,  and  wished 
it  was  over ;  and  tried  to  plan  for  the  hundredth 
time,  how  it  would  all  be.  The  girls,  Cecelia 
Lester  and  Lorena  Barstow  and  the  rest  of 
them,  would  be  out  in  their  elegant  toilets,  and 
would  look  at  her  so!  That  Ermina  Farley 
would  be  there;  she  had  seen  her  but  once,  on 
the  first  Sunday,  and  liked  her  face  and  her  ways 
a  little  better  than  the  others  ;  but  she  had  been 
away  since  then.  Jerry  said  she  was  back,  how- 
ever, and  Mrs.  Smith  said  they  were  the  richest 


306    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

folks  in  town  ;  and  of  course  Ermina  would  be 
elegantly  dressed  at  the  flower  party. 

Well,  she  did  not  care.  She  was  willing  to 
have  them  all  dressed  beautifully ;  she  was  not 
mean  enough  to  want  them  to  wear  gingham 
dresses,  if  only  they  would  not  make  fun  of  hers. 
Oh !  if  she  could  only  stay  at  home,  and  help 
iron,  and  get  supper,  and  fry  some  potatoes 
nicely  for  father,  how  happy  she  would  be.  Then 
she  sighed  again,  and  set  about  braiding  her 
hair.  She  meant  to  go,  but  she  could  not  help 
being  sorry  for  herself  to  think  it  must  be  done$ 
and  she  spent  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  trying 
to  plan  just  how  hateful  it  would  all  be ;  how 
the  girls  would  look,  and  whisper,  and  giggle ; 
and  how  her  cheeks  would  burn.  Oh  dear! 

Then  she  found  it  was  late,  and  had  to  make 
her  fingers  fly,  and  to  rush  about  the  little  wood- 
house  chamber  which  was  still  her  room,  in  a 
way  which  made  Sarah  Ann  say  to  her  mother 
with  a  significant  nod,  "  I  guess  she's  woke  up 
and  gone  at  it,  poor  thing ! "  Yes,  she  had  ; 
and  was  down  in  fifteen  minutes  more. 

Oh!  but  didn't  the  little  girls  look  pretty! 
Nettie  forgot  her  trouble  for  a  few  minutes,  in 
admiring  them  when  she  had  put  the  last  touches 


THE   FLOWER   PAETY.  307 

to  their  toilet.  Susie  was  to  be  in  a  tableau 
where  she  would  need  a  dolly,  and  Miss  Sherrill 
had  furnished  one  for  the  occasion.  A  lovely 
dolly  with  real  hair,  and  blue  eyes,  and  a  bright 
blue  sash  to  match  them  ;  and  when  Susie  got  it 
in  her  arms,  there  came  such  a  sweet,  softened 
look  over  her  face  that  Nettie  hardly  knew  her. 
The  sturdy  voice,  too,  which  was  so  apt  to  be 
fierce,  softened  and  took  a  motherly  tone ;  the 
dolly  was  certainly  educating  Susie.  Little  Sate 
looked  on,  interested,  pleased,  but  without  the 
slightest  shade  of  envy.  She  wanted  no  dolly  ; 
or,  if  she  did,  there  was  a  little  black-faced, 
worn,  rag  one  reposing  at  this  moment  in  the 
trundle  bed  where  little  Sale's  own  head  would 
rest  at  night ;  kissed,  and  caressed,  and  petted, 
and  told  to  be  good  until  mamma  came  back  ; 
this  dolly  had  all  of  Sale's  warm  heart.  For 
the  rest,  the  grave  little  old  women  in  caps  and 
spectacles,  which  wound  about  her  dress,  crept 
up  in  bunches  on  her  shoulders,  lay  in  nestling 
heaps  at  her  breast,  filled  all  Sate's  thoughts. 
She  seemed  to  have  become  a  little  old  woman 
herself,  so  serious  and  womanly  was  her  face. 
Nettie  took  a  hand  of  each,  and  they  went  to 
the  flower  festival.  There  was  to  be  a  five 


308     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

o'clock  tea  for  all  the  elderly  people  of  the 
church,  and  the  tables,  some  of  them,  were  set 
in  Mr.  Eastman's  grounds,  which  adjoined  the 
church.  When  Nettie  entered  these  grounds 
she  found  a  company  of  girls  several  years 
younger  than  herself,  helping  to  decorate  the 
tables  with  flowers ;  at  least  that  was  their  work, 
but  as  Nettie  appeared  at  the  south  gate,  a  queer 
little  object  pushed  in  at  the  west  side.  A  child 
not  more  than  six  years  old,  with  a  clean  face, 
and  carefully  combed  hair,  but  dressed  in  a  plain 
dark  calico ;  and  her  pretty  pink  toes  were  with- 
out shoes  or  stockings. 

I  am  not  sure  that  if  a  little  wolf  had  suddenly 
appeared  before  them,  it  could  have  caused 
more  exclamations  of  astonishment  and  dismay. 

"  Only  look  at  that  child  !  "  «  The  idea !  " 
"  Just  to  think  of  such  a  thing !  "  were  a  few  of 
the  exclamations  with  which  the  air  was  thick. 
At  last,  one  bolder  than  the  rest,  stepped  to- 
wards her :  "  Little  girl,  where  did  you  come 
from  ?  What  in  the  world  do  you  want  here?" 

Startled  by  the  many  eyes  and  the  sharp 
tones,  the  small  new-comer  hid  her  face  behind 
an  immense  bunch  of  glowing  hollyhocks,  which 
she  held  in  her  hand,  and  said  not  a  word. 


THE    FLOWER  PARTY.  309 

Then  the  chorus  of  voices  became  more  eager : 

"  Do  look  at  her  hollyhocks  !  Did  ever  any- 
body see  such  a  queer  little  fright !  Girls,  I  do 
believe  she  has  come  to  the  party."  Then  the 
one  who  had  spoken  before,  tried  again :  "  See 
here,  child,  whoever  you  are,  you  must  go  right 
straight  home ;  this  is  no  place  for  you.  I  won- 
der what  your  mother  was  about — if  you  have 
one  —  to  let  you  run  away  barefooted,  and 
looking  like  a  fright." 

Now  the  barefooted  maiden  was  thoroughly 
frightened,  and  sobbed  outright.  It  was  pre- 
cisely what  Nettie  Decker  needed  to  give  her 
courage.  When  she  came  in  at  the  gate,  she 
had  felt  like  shrinking  away  from  all  eyes; 
now  she  darted  an  indignant  glance  at  the 
speaker,  and  moved  quickly  toward  the  crying 
child,  Susie  and  Sate  following  close  behind. 

"  Don't  cry,  little  girl,"  she  said  in  the  gen- 
tlest tones,  stooping  and  putting  an  arm  ten- 
derly around  the  trembling  form  ;  "  you  haven't 
done  anything  wrong ;  Miss  Sherrill  will  be 
here  soon,  and  she  will  make  it  all  right." 

Thus  "comforted,  the  tears  ceased,  and  the 
small  new-comer  allowed  her  hand  to  be  taken ; 
while  Susie  came  around  to  her  other  side,  and 


310      LITTLE    FISHERS  !     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

scowled  fiercely,  as  though  to  say  :  "  I'll  protect 
this  girl  myself;  let's  see  you  touch  her  now!" 

A  burst  of  laughter  greeted  Nettie  as  soon 
as  she  had  time  to  give  heed  to  it.  Others  had 
joined  the  groups,  among  them  Lorena  Bar- 
stow  and  Irene  Lewis.  "What's  all  this?" 
asked  Irene. 

"O,  nothing,"  said  one;  "only  that  Decker 
girl's  sister,  or  cousin,  or  something  has  just 
arrived  from  Cork,  and  come  in  search  of  her. 
Lorena  Barstow,  did  you  ever  see  such  a  queer- 
looking  fright  ?" 

"  I  don't  see  but  they  look  a  good  deal  alike," 
said  Lorena,  tossing  her  curls  ;  "  I'm  sure  their 
dresses  correspond  ;  is  she  a  sister  ?  " 

"Why,  no,"  answered  one  of  the  smaller 
girls;  "those  two  cunning  little  things  in  white 
are  Nettie  Decker's  sisters ;  I  think  they  are 
real  sweet." 

"Oh!  "  said  Lorena,  giving  them  a  disagree- 
able stare,  "  in  white,  are  they  ?  The  unselfish 
older  sister  has  evidently  cut  up  her  nightgowns 
to  make  them  white  dresses  for  this  occasion." 

"  Lorena,"  said  the  younger  girl,  "  if  I  were 
you  I  would  be  ashamed ;  mother  would  not 
like  you  to  talk  in  that  way." 


THE    FLOWER  PARTY.  311 

"Well,  you  see  Miss  Nanie,  you  are  not  me, 
therefore  you  cannot  tell  what  you  would  be, 
or  do ;  and  I  want  to  inform  you  it  is  not 
your  business  to  tell  me  what  mother  would 
like." 

Imagine  Nettie  Decker  standing  quietly,  with 
the  barefooted  child's  small  hand  closely 
clasped  in  hers,  listening  to  all  this !  There  was 
a  pretense  of  lowered  voices,  yet  every  word 
was  distinct  to  her  ears.  Her  heart  beat  fast 
and  she  began  to  feel  as  though  she  really  was 
paying  quite  a  high  price  for  the  possibility  of 
getting  Norm  into  the  church  parlor  for  a  few 
minutes  that  evening. 

At  that  moment,  through  the  main  gateway, 
came  Ermina  Farley,  a  colored  man  with  her, 
bearing  a  basket  full  of  such  wonderful  roses, 
that  for  a  minute  the  group  could  only  exclaim 
over  them.  Ermina  was  in  white,  but  her  dress 
was  simply  made,  and  looked  as  though  she 
might  not  be  afraid  to  tumble  about  on  the 
grass  in  it ;  her  shoes  were  thick,  and  the  blue 
sash  she  wore,  though  broad  and  handsome,  had 
some  way  a  quiet  air  of  fitness  for  the  occasion, 
which  did  not  seem  to  belong  to  most  of  the 
others.  She  watched  the  disposal  of  her  roses, 


312      LITTLE   FISHEKS:    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

then  gave  an  inquiring  glance  about  the  grounds 
as  she  said,  "  What  are  you  all  doing  here  ?  " 

"  We  are  having  a  tableau,"  said  Lorena  Bar- 
stow.  "  Look  behind  you,  and  you  will  see 
the  Misses  Bridget  and  Margaret  Mulrooney, 
who  have  just  arrived  from  ould  Ireland  shure." 

Most  of  the  thoughtless  girls  laughed,  mis- 
taking this  rudeness  for  wit,  but  Ermina  turned 
quickly  and  caught  her  first  glimpse  of  Nettie's 
burning  face ;  then  she  hastened  toward  her. 

"Why,  here  is  little  Prudy,  after  all,"  she 
said  eagerly ;  "  I  coaxed  her  mother  to  let  her 
come,  but  I  didn't  think  she  would.  Has  Miss 
Sherrill  seen  her  ?  I  think  she  will  make  such  a 
cunning  Roman  flower-girl,  in  that  tableau,  you 
know.  Her  face  is  precisely  the  shape  and 
style  of  the  little  girls  we  saw  in  Rome  last  win- 
ter. Poor  little  girlie,  was  she  frightened? 
How  kind  you  were  to  take  care  of  her.  She 
is  a  real  bright  little  thing.  I  want  to  coax  her 
into  Sunday-school  if  I  can.  Let  us  go  and  ask 
Miss  Sherrill  what  she  thinks  about  the  flower- 
girl." 

How  fast  Ermina  Farley  could  talk!  She 
did  not  wait  for  replies.  The  truth  was,  Net- 
tie's glowing  cheeks,  and  Susie's  fierce  looks, 


THE    FLOWER   PARTY.  313 

told  her  the  story  of  trial  for  somebody  else 
besides  the  Roman  flower-girl ;  she  could  guess 
at  things  which  might  have  been  said  before  she 
came.  She  wound  her  arm  familiarly  about 
Nettie's  waist  as  she  spoke,  and  drew  her,  al- 
most against  her  will,  across  the  lawn.  "My!" 
said  Irene  Lewis.  "How  good  we  are  ! " 

"Birds  of  a  feather, flock  together,"  quoted 
Lorena  Barstow.  "I  think  that  barefooted 
child  and  her  protector  look  alike." 

"Still,"  said  Irene,  "you  must  remember 
that  Ermina  Farley  has  joined  that  flock ;  and 
her  feathers  are  very  different." 

"Oh!  that  is  only  for  effect,"  was  the  naughty 
reply,  with  another  toss  of  the  rich  curls. 

Now  what  was  the  matter  with  all  these  dis- 
agreeable young  people  ?  Did  they  really  attach 
so  much  importance  to  the  clothes  they  wore 
as  to  think  no  one  was  respectable  who  was 
not  dressed  like  them?  Had  they  really  no 
hearts,  so  that  it  made  no  difference  to  them 
how  deeply  they  wounded  poor  Nettie  Decker  ? 

I  do  not  think  it  was  quite  either  of  these 
things.  They  had  been,  so  far  in  their  lives, 
unfortunate,  in  that  they  had  heard  a  great  deal 
about  dress,  and  style,  until  they  had  done  what 


814      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

young  people  and  a  few  older  ones  are  apt  to 
do,  attached  too  much  importance  to  these 
things.  They  were  neither  old  enough,  nor 
wise  enough,  to  know  that  it  is  a  mark  of  a  shal- 
low nature  to  judge  of  people  by  the  clothes 
they  wear;  then,  in  regard  to  the  ill-riatured 
things  said,  I  tell  you  truly,  that  even  Lorena 
Barstow  was  ashamed  of  herself.  When  her 
younger  sister  reproved  her,  the  flush  which 
came  on  her  cheek  was  not  all  anger,  much  of  it 
was  shame.  But  she  had  taught  her  tongue  to 
say  so  many  disagreeable  words,  and  to  pride 
itself  on  its  independence  in  saying  what 
she  pleased,  that  the  habit  asserted  itself, 
and  she  could  not  seem  to  controj  it.  The  con- 
trast between  her  own  conduct  and  Ermina 
Farley's  struck  her  so  sharply  and  disagreeably 
it  served  only  to  make  her  worse  than  before ; 
precisely  the  effect  which  follows  when  people 
of  uncontrolled  tempers  find  themselves  rebuked. 
Half-way  down  the  lawn  the  party  in  search 
of  Miss  Sherrill  met  her  face  to  face.  Her 
greeting  was  warm.  "  Oh  !  here  is  my  dear 
little  grandmother.  Thank  you,  Nettie,  for 
coming;  I  look  to  you  for  a  great  deal  of  help. 
Why,  Ermina,  what  weemousie  have  you  here?" 


THE   FLOWEB  PARTY.  315 

"  She  is  a  little  Roman  flower-girl,  Miss  Sher- 
rill ;  they  live  on  Parker  street.  Her  mother 
is  a  nice  woman  ;  my  mother  has  her  to  run  the 
machine.  I  coaxed  her  to  let  Trudie  wear  her 
red  dress  and  come  barefoot,  until  you  would 
see  if  she  would  do  for  the  Roman  flower-girl. 
Papa  says  her  face  is  very  Roman  in  style,  and 
she  always  makes  us  think  of  the  flower-girls 
we  saw  there.  I  brought  my  Roman  sash  to 
dress  her  in,  if  you  thought  well  of  it ;  she  is 
real  bright,  and  will  do  just  as  she  is  told." 

"It  is  the  very  thing,"  said  Miss  Sherrill  with 
a  pleased  face ;  "  I  am  so  glad  you  thought  of 
it.  And  the  hollyhocks  are  just  red  enough  to 
go  in  the  basket.  Did  you  think  of  them  too  ?" 

"  No,  ma'am ;  mamma  did.  She  said  the 
more  red  flowers  we  could  mass  about  her,  the 
better  for  a  Roman  peasant." 

"  It  will  be  a  lovely  thing,"  said  Miss  Sherrill. 
Then  she  stooped  and  kissed  the  small  brown 
face,  which  was  now  smiling  through  its  tears. 
"  You  have  found  good  friends,  little  one.  She 
is  very  small  to  be  here  alone.  Ermina,  will  you 
and  Nettie  take  care  of  her  this  afternoon,  and 
see  that  she  is  happy  ?  " 

"  Yes'm,"  said  Ermina  promptly.     "  Nettie 


316     LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

was  taking  care  of  her  when  I  came.  She  was 
afraid  at  first,  I  think." 

"  They  were  ugly  to  her,"  volunteered  Susie, 
"  they  were  just  as  ugly  to  her  as  they  could  be ; 
they  made  her  cry.  If  they'd  done  it  to  Sate  I 
would  have  scratched  them  and  bit  them." 

"  Oh,"  said  Miss  Sherrill  sorrowfully.  "  How 
sorry  I  am  to  hear  it ;  then  Susie  would  have 
been  naughty  too,  and  it  wouldn't  have  made 
the  others  any  better ;  in  fact,  it  would  have 
made  them  worse." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Susie,  but  she  did  care. 
She  said  that,  just  as  you  do  sometimes,  when 
you  mean  you  care  a  great  deal,  and  don't  want 
to  let  anybody  know  it.  For  the  first  time, 
Susie  reflected  whether  it  was  a  good  plan  to 
scratch  and  bite  people  who  did  not,  in  her 
judgment,  behave  well.  It  had  not  been  a 
perfect  success  in  her  experience,  she  was 
willing  to  admit  that;  and  if  it  made  Miss 

O  ' 

Sherrill  sorry,  it  was  worth  thinking  about. 

Well,  that  afternoon  which  began  so  dismally, 
blossomed  out  into  a  better  time  than  Nettie 
had  imagined  it  possible  for  her  to  have.  To 
be  sure  those  particular  girls  who  had  been  the 
cause  of  her  sorrow,  would  have  nothing  to  do 


THE   FLOWEB  PARTY.  317 

with  her ;  and  whispered,  and  sent  disdainful 
glances  her  way  when  they  had  an  opportunity ; 
but  Nettie  went  in  thei redirection  as  little  as 
possible,  and  when  she  did  was  in  such  a  hurry 
that  she  sometimes  forgot  all  about  them.  Miss 
Sherrill,  who  was  chairman  of  the  committee 
of  entertainment,  kept  her  as  busy  as  a  bee  the 
entire  afternoon ;  running  hither  and  thither, 
carrying  messages  to  this  one,  and  pins  to  that 
one,  setting  this  vase  of  flowers  at  one  end,  and 
that  lovely  basket  at  another,  and,  a  great  deal 
of  the  time,  stand  in  g  right  beside  Miss  Sherrill 

*  o       o 

herself,  handing  her,  at  call,  just  what  she 
needed  when  she  dressed  the  girls  with  their 
special  flowers.  She  could  hear  the  bright 
pleasant  talk  which  passed  between  Miss  Sher- 
rill and  the  other  young  ladies.  She  was  often 
appealed  too  with  a  pleasant  word.  Her  own 
teacher  smiled  on  her  more  than  once,  and  said 
she  was  the  handiest  little  body  who  had  ever 
helped  them ;  and  all  the  time  that  lovely  Er- 
mina  Fai-ley  with  her  beautiful  hair,  and  her 
pretty  ways,  and  her  sweet  low  voice,  was  near 
at  hand,  joining  in  everything  which  she  had 
to  do.  To  be  sure  she  heard,  in  one  of  her  rapid 
ecampers  across  the  lawn,  this  question  asked 


318     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

in  a  loud  tone  by  Lorena  Barstow :  "  I  won- 
der how  much  they  pay  that  girl  for  running 
errands?  Maybe  she  will  earn  enough  to  get 
herself  a  new  white  nightgown  to  wear  to  par- 
ties ; "  but  at  that  particular  minute,  Ermina 
Farley  running  from  another  direction  on  an 
errand  precisely  like  her  own,  bumped  up 
against  her  with  such  force  that  their  noses 
ached ;  then  both  stopped  to  laugh  merrily,  and 
some  way,  what  with  the  bump,  and  the  laugh- 
ter, Nettie  forgot  to  cry,  when  she  had  a  chance, 
over  the  unkind  words.  Then,  later  in  the 
afternoon,  came  Jerry ;  and  in  less  than  five 
minutes  he  joined  their  group,  and  made  him- 
self so  useful  that  when  Mr.  Sherrill  came  pres- 
ently for  boys  to  go  with  him  to  the  chapel  to 
arrange  the  tables,  Miss  Sherrill  said  in  low 
tones,  "  Don't  take  Jerry  please,  we  need  him 
here."  Nettie  heard  it,  and  beamed  her  satis- 
faction. Also  she  heard  Irene  Lewis  say, 
"  Now  they've  taken  that  Irish  boy  into  their 
crowd  —  shouldn't  you  think  Ermina  Farley 
would  be  ashamed  ! " 

Then  Nettie's  face  fairly  paled.  It  is  one 
thing  to  be  insulted  yourself ;  it  is  another  to 
stand  quietly  by  and  see  your  friends  insulted. 


THE   FLOWER  PARTY.  319 

She  was  almost  ready  to  appeal  to  Miss  Sherrill 
for  protection  from  tongues.  But  Jerry  heard 
the  same  remark,  and  laughed  ;  not  in  a  forced 
way,  but  actually  as  though  it  was  very  amusing 
to  him.  And  almost  immediately  he  called  out 
something  to  Ermina,  using  an  unmistakable 
Irish  brogue.  What  was  the  use  in  trying  to 
protect  a  boy  who  was  so  indifferent  as  that? 


CHAPTER  XVHI. 

A   SATISFACTORY  EVEITCNG. 

little  old  grandmothers  with  their  queer 
caps  were  perhaps  the  feature  of  the  even- 
ing. Everybody  wanted  a  bouquet  of  them.  In 
fact,  long  before  eight  o'clock,  Jerry  had  been 
hurried  away  for  a  fresh  supply,  and  Nettie  had 
been  established  behind  a  curtain  to  "make 
more  grandmothers."  In  her  excitement  she 
made  them  even  prettier  than  before ;  and  sweet, 
grave  little  Sate  had  no  ti'ouble  in  selling  every 
one.  The  pretty  Roman  flower  girl  was  so  much 
admired,  that  her  father,  a  fine-looking  young 
mechanic  who  came  after  her  bringing  red  stock- 
ings and  neat  shoes,  carried  her  off  at  last  in  tri- 
umph on  his  shoulder,  saying  he  was  afraid  her 
head  would  be  turned  with  so  much  praise,  but 
thanking  everybody  with  bright  smiling  eyes  for 
giving  his  little  girl  such  a  pleasant  afternoon. 
"  She  isn't  Irish,  after  all,"  said  Irene  Lewis, 
320 


"A   SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  321 

watching  them.  "  And  Mr.  Sherrill  shook  hands 
with  him  as  familiarly  as  though  he  was  an  old 
friend  ;  I  wish  we  hadn't  made  such  simpletons 
of  ourselves.  Lorena  Barstow,  what  did  you 
want  to  go  and  say  she  was  an  Irish  girl  for?" 

"  I  didn't  say  any  snch  thing,"  said  Lorena  in 
a  shrill  voice  ;  and  then  these  two  who  had  been 
friends  in  ill  humor  all  the  afternoon  quarreled, 
and  went  home  more  unhappy  than  before. 
And  still  I  tell  you  they  were  not  the  worst  girls 
in  the  world  ;  and  were  very  much  ashamed  of 
themselves. 

Before  eight  o'clock,  Norm  came.  To  be  sure 
he  stoutly  refused,  at  first,  to  step  beyond  the 
doorway,  and  ordered  Nettie  in  a  somewhat 
surly  tone  to  "  bring  that  young  one  out,"  if  she 
wanted  her  carried  home.  That,  of  course,  was 
the  little  grandmother;  but  her  eyes  looked  as 
though  they  had  not  thought  of  being  sleepy, 
and  the  ladies  were  not  ready  to  let  her  go. 
Then  the  minister,  who  seemed  to  understand 
tilings  without  having  them  explained,  said, 
"  Where  is  Decker  ?  we'll  make  it  all  right ; 
come,  little  grandmother,  let  us  go  and  see  about 
it."  So  he  took  Sate  on  his  shoulder  and  made 
his  way  through  the  crowd;  and  Nettie  who 


322      LITTLE   FISHEES:    AND   THEIR  NETS. 

watched  anxiously,  presently  saw  Norm  coming 
back  with  them,  not  looking  surly  at  all ;  his 
clothes  had  been  brushed,  and  he  had  on  a  clean 
collar,  and  his  hair  was  combed,  quite  as  though 
he  had  meant  to  come  in,  after  all. 

Soon  after  Norm's  coming,  something  hap- 
pened which  gave  Nettie  a  glimpse  of  her 
brother  in  a  new  light.  Young  Ernest  Bclmont 
was  there  with  his  violin.  During  the  after- 
noon, Nettie  had  heard  whispers  of  what  a 
lovely  player  he  was,  and  at  last  saw  with  de- 
light that  a  space  was  being  cleared  for  him  to 
play.  Crowds  of  people  gathered  about  the 
platform  to  listen,  but  among  them  all  Norm's 
face  was  marked  ;  at  least  it  was  to  Nettie. 
She  had  never  seen  him  look  like  that.  He 
seemed  to  forget  the  crowds,  and  the  lights,  and 
everything  but  the  sounds  which  came  from  that 
violin.  He  stood  perfectly  still,  his  eyes  never 
once  turning  from  their  earnest  gaze  of  the  fin- 
gers which  were  producing  such  wonderful  tones. 
Nettie,  looking,  and  wondering,  almost  forgot 
the  music  in  her  astonishment  that  her  brother 
should  be  so  absorbed.  Jerry  with  some  diffi- 
culty elbowed  his  way  towards  her,  his  face 
beaming,  and  said,  "  Isn't  it  splendid  ?  " 


A   SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  323 

For  answer  she  said,  "  Look  at  Norm."  And 
Jerry  looked. 

"  That's  so,"  he  said  at  last,  heartily,  speak- 
ing as  though  he  was  answering  a  remark  from 
somebody ;  "  Norm  is  a  musician.  Did  you 
know  he  liked  it  so  much  ?" 

"I  didn't  know  anything  about  it,"  Nettie 
said,  hardly  able  to  keep  back  the  tears,  though 
she  did  not  understand  why  her  eyes  should  fill ; 
but  there  was  such  a  look  of  intense  enjoyment 
in  Norm's  face,  mingled  with  such  a  wistful 
longing  for  something,  as  made  the  tears  start 
in  spite  of  her.  "  I  didn't  know  he  liked  any- 
thing so  much  as  that." 

"  He  likes  that"  said  Jerry  heartily,  "  and  I 
am  glad." 

'4l  don't  know.  What  makes  you  glad  ?  I 
am  almost  sorry ;  because  he  may  never  have  a 
chance  to  hear  it  again." 

"  He  must  make  his  chances ;  he  is  going  to  be 
a  man.  I'm  glad,  because  it  gives  us  a  hint  as 
to  what  his  tastes  are  ;  don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Nettie,  "  I  see  he  likes  it ; 
but  what  is  the  use  in  knowing  people's  tastes  if 
you  cannot  possibly  do  anything  for  them  ?  " 

"  There's  no  such  thing  as  it  not  being  possible 


324      LITTLE    FISHEKS:    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

to  do  most  anything,"  Jerry  said  good  humor- 
edly.  "  Maybe  we  will  some  of  us  own  a  violin 
some  day,  and  Norm  will  play  it  for  us.  Who 
knows?  Stranger  things  than  that  have  hap- 
pened." 

But  this  thing  looked  to  Nettie  so  improbable 
that  she  merely  laughed.  The  music  suddenly 
ceased,  and  Norm  came  back  from  dreamland 
and  looked  about  him,  and  blushed,  and  felt 
awkward.  He  saw  the  people  now,  and  the 
lights,  and  the  flowers ;  he  remembered  his 
hands  and  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  them ; 
and  his  feet  felt  too  large  for  the  space  they  must 
occupy. 

Jerry  plunged  through  the  crowd  and  stood 
beside  him. 

"  How  did  you  like  it  ?  "  he  asked,  and  Norm 
cleared  his  voice  before  replying ;  he  could  not 
understand  why  his  throat  should  feel  so  husky. 

"  I  like  a  fiddle,"  he  said.  "  There  is  a  fellow 
comes  into  the  corner  grocery  down  there  by 
Grossman's  and  plays,  sometimes ;  I  always  go 
down  there,  when  I  hear  of  it." 

If  Jerry  could  have  caught  Nettie's  eye  just 
then  he  would  have  made  a  significant  gesture  ; 
the  store  by  Grossman's  made  tobacco  and 


A   SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  325 

liquor  its  chief  trade.  So  a  fiddle  was  one  of 
the  things  used  to  draw  the  boys  into  it ! 

"  Is  a  fiddle  the  only  kind  of  music  you  like  ?  " 
Jerry  had  been  accustomed  to  calling  it  a  violin, 
but  the  instinct  of  true  politeness  which  was 
marked  in  him,  made  him  say  fiddle  just  now  as 
Norm  had  done. 

"  Oh  !  I  like  anything  that  whistles  a  tune  !  " 
said  Norm.  "  I've  gone  a  rod  out  of  my  way  to 
hear  a  jew's-harp  many  a  time ;  even  an  old  hand- 
organ  sounds  nice  to  me.  I  don't  know  why, 
but  I  never  hear  one  without  stopping  and  listen- 
ing as  long  as  I  can."  He  laughed  a  little,  as 
though  ashamed  of  the  taste,  and  looked  at  Jerry 
suspiciously.  But  there  was  not  the  slightest 
hint  of  a  smile  on  the  boy's  face,  only  hearty  in- 
terest and  approval. 

"  I  like  music,  too,  almost  any  sort ;  but  I 
don't  believe  I  like  it  as  well  as  you.  Your  face 
looked  while  you  were  listening  as  though  you 
could  make  some  yourself  if  you  tried." 

The  smile  went  out  quickly  from  Norm's  face, 
and  Jerry  thought  he  heard  a  little  sigh  with  the 
reply : 

"  I  never  had  a  chance  to  try  ;  and  never  ex- 
pect to  have." 


326    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

i*  Well,  now,  I  should  like  to  know  why  not  ? 
I  never  could  understand  why  a  boy  with  brains, 
and  hands,  and  feet,  shouldn't  have  a  try  at 
almost  anything  which  was  worth  trying,  some- 
time in  his  life."  It  was  not  Jerry  who  said 
this,  but  the  minister  who  had  come  up  in  time 
to  hear  the  last  words  from  both  sides.  He 
stopped  before  Norm,  smiling  as  he  spoke. 
"  Try  the  music,  my  friend,  by  all  means,  if  you 
like  it.  It  is  a  noble  taste,  worth  cultivating." 

Norm  looked  sullen.  "  It's  easy  to  talk,"  he 
said  severely,  "  but  when  a  fellow  has  to  work 
like  a  dog  to  get  enough  to  eat  and  wear,  to 
keep  him  from  starving  or  freezing,  I'd  like  to 
see  him  get  a  chance  to  try  at  music,  or  anything 
else  of  that  kind  !  " 

"  So  should  I.  He  is  the  very  fellow  who  ought 
to  have  the  chance ;  and  more  than  that,  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  he  is  the  fellow  who  gets  it.  A 
boy  who  is  willing  and  able  to  work,  is  pretty 
sure,  in  this  country,  to  have  opportunity  to 
gratify  his  tastes  in  the  end.  He  may  have  to 
wait  awhile,  but  that  only  sharpens  the  appetite 
of  a  genuine  taste ;  if  it  is  a  worthy  taste,  as 
music  certainly  is,  it  will  grow  with  his  growth, 
and  will  help  him  to  plan,  and  save,  and  contrive, 


A    SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  327 

until  one  of  these  days  he  will  show  you  !  By 
the  way,  you  would  like  organ  music,  I  fancy ; 
the  sort  which  is  sometimes  played  on  parlor 
organs.  If  you  will  come  to  the  parsonage  to- 
morrow night  at  eight  o'clock,  I  think  I  can 
promise  you  something  which  you  will  enjoy. 
My  sister  is  going  to  try  some  new  music  for  a 
few  friends,  at  that  time  ;  suppose  you  come  and 
pick  out  your  favorite  ?  " 

All  Jerry's  satisfaction  and  interest  shone  in 
his  face ;  to-morrow  night  at  eight  o'clock  !  All 
day  he  had  been  trying  to  arrange  something 
which  would  keep  Norm  at  that  hour  away  from 
the  aforesaid  corner  grocery,  where  he  happened 
to  know  some  doubtful  plans  were  to  be  arranged 
for  future  mischief,  by  the  set  who  gathered  there. 
If  only  Norm  would  go  to  the  parsonage  it  would 
be  the  very  thing.  But  Norm  flushed  and  hesi- 
tated. "  Bring  a  friend  with  you,"  said  the 
minister.  "  Bring  Jerry,  here  ;  you  like  music, 
don't  you,  Jerry  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Jerry  promptly ;  "  I  like 
music  very  much,  and  I  would  like  to  go  if 
Norm  is  willing." 

"  Bring  Jerry  with  you."  That  sentence  had  a 
pleasant  sound.  Up  to  this  moment  it  was  the 


328    LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIB  NETS. 

younger  boy  who  had  patronized  the  elder. 
Norm  called  him  the  "  little  chap,"  but  for  all 
that  looked  up  to  him  with  a  curious  sort  of  re- 
spect such  as  he  felt  for  none  of  the  "  fellows  " 
who  were  his  daily  companions;  the  idea  of 
bringing  him  to  a  place  of  entertainment  had  its 
charms. 

"  May  I  expect  you  ?  "  asked  the  minister, 
reading  his  thoughts  almost  as  plainly  as  though 
they  had  been  printed  on  his  face,  and  judging 
that  this  was  the  time  to  press  an  acceptance. 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Norm,  "  I  suppose  so." 

One  of  these  days  Norman  Decker  will  not 
think  of  accepting  an  invitation  with  such  words, 
but  his  intentions  are  good,  now,  and  the  minis- 
ter thanks  him  as  though  he  had  received  a 
favor,  and  departs  well  pleased. 

And  now  it  is  really  growing  late  and  little 
Sate  must  be  carried  home.  It  was  an  evening 
to  remember. 

They  talked  it  over  by  inches  the  next  morn- 
ing. Nettie  finishing  the  breakfast  dishes,  and 
Jerry  sitting  on  the  doorstep  fashioning  a  bracket 
for  the  kitchen  lamp. 

Nettie  talked  much  about  Ermina  Farley. 
"  She  is  just  as  lovely  and  sweet  as  she  can  be. 


A   SATISFACTOEY   EVENING.  329 

• 

It  was  beautiful  in  her  to  come  over  to  me  as 
she  did  when  stie  came  into  that  yard  ;  part  of 
it  was  for  little  Trudie's  sake,  and  a  great  deal 
of  it  was  for  my  sake.  I  saw  that  at  the  time  ; 
and  I  saw  it  plainer  all  the  afternoon.  She 
didn't  give  me  a  chance  to  feel  alone  once  ;  and 
she  didn't  stay  near  me  as  though  she  felt  she 
ought  to,  but  didn't  want  to,  either;  she  just 
took  hold  and  helped  do  everything  Miss  Sher- 
rill  gave  me  to  do,  and  was  as  bright  and  sweet 
as  she  could  be.  I  shall  never  forget  it  of  her. 
But  for  all  that,"  she  added  as  she  wrung  out 

7  O 

her  dishcloth  with  an  energy  which  the  small 
white  rag  hardly  needed,  "  I  know  it  was  pretty 
hard  for  her  to  do  it,  and  I  shall  not  give  her  a 
chance  to  do  it  again." 

"I  want  to  know  what  there  was  hard 
about  it  ?  "  said  Jerry,  looking  up  in  astonish- 
ment. "  I  thought  Ermina  Farley  seemed  to  be 
having  as  good  a  time  as  anybody  there." 

"  Oh,  well  now,  I  know,  you  are  not  a  girl ; 
boys  are  different  from  girls.  They  are  not  so 
kind-of-mean !  At  least,  some  of  them  are  not," 
she  added  quickly,  having  at  that  moment  a 
vivid  recollection  of  some  mean  things  which 
she  had  endured  from  boys.  "  Really  I  don't 


830     LITTLE  FISHERS:  AND  THEIR  NETS. 

• 

think  they  are,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's 
thoughtful  pause,  and  replying  to  the  quizzical 
look  on  his  face.  "  They  don't  think  about 
dresses,  and  hats,  and  gloves,  and  all  those 
sorts  of  things  as  girls  do,  and  they  don't  say 
such  hateful  things.  Oh!  I  know  there  is  a 
great  difference;  and  I  know  just  how  Ermina 
Farley  will  be  talked  about  because  she  went 
with  me,  and  stood  up  for  me  so ;  and  I  think 
it  will  be  very  hard  for  her.  I  used  to  think  so 
about  you,  but  you  —  are  real  different  from 
girls ! " 

"  It  amounts  to  about  this,"  said  Jerry,  whit- 
tling gravely.  "  Good  boys  are  different  from 
bad  girls,  and  bad  boys  are  different  from  good 
girls." 

Nettie  laughed  merrily.  "  No,"  she  said,  "  I 
do  know  what  I  am  talking  about,  though  you 
don't  think  so  ;  I  know  real  splendid  girls  who 
couldn't  have  done  as  Ermina  Farley  did  yester- 
day, and  as  you  do  all  the  time  ;  and  what  I  say 
is,  I  don't  mean  to  put  myself  where  she  will 
have  to  do  it,  much.  I  don't  want  to  go  to  their 
parties ;  I  don't  expect  a  chance  to  go,  but  if  I 
had  it,  I  wouldn't  go  ;  and  just  for  her  sake,  I 
don't  mean  to  be  always  around  for  her  to  have 


A   SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  331 

to  take  care  of  me  as  she  did  yesterday.  I  have 
something  else  to  do."  Said  Jerry,  "  Where  do 
you  think  Norm  is  to  take  me  this  evening?" 

"  Norm  going  to  take  you  !  "  great  wonder- 
ment in  the  tone.  "  Why,  where  could  he  take 
you?  I  don't  know,  I  am  sure." 

"•  He  is  to  take  me  to  the  parsonage  at  eight 
o'clock  to  hear  some  wonderful  music  on  the 
organ.  He  has  been  invited,  and  has  had  per- 
mission to  bring  me  with  him  if  he  wants  to. 
Don't  you  talk  about  not  putting  yourself  where 
other  people  will  have  to  take  care  of  you !  I 
advise  you  to  cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  your 
brother.  It  isnl  everybody  who  gets  invited  to 
the  parsonage  to  hear  such  music  as  Miss  Sher- 
rill  can  make." 

The  dishcloth  was  hung  away  now,  and  every 
bit  of  work  was  done.  Nettie  stood  looking  at 
the  whittling  boy  in  the  doorway  for  a  minute 
in  blank  astonishment,  then  she  clasped  her 
hands  and  said :  "  O  Jerry !  Did  they  do  it  ? 
Aren't  they  the  very  splendidest  people  you  ever 
knew  in  your  life?" 

"  They  are  pretty  good,"  said  Jerry,  "  that's  a 
fact ;  they  are  most  as  good  as  my  father.  I'll 
tell  you  what  it  is,  if  you  knew  my  father  you 


332      LITTLE    FISHEES  I     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

would  know  a  man  who  would  be  worth  remem- 
bering. I  had  a  letter  from  him  last  night,  and 
he  sent  a  message  to  my  friend  Nettie." 

"  What  ?  "  asked  Nettie,  her  eyes  very  bright. 

"  It  was  that  you  were  to  take  good  care  of 
his  boy ;  for  in  his  opinion  the  boy  was  worth 
taking  care  of.  On  the  strength  of  that  I  want 
you  to  come  out  and  look  at  Mother  Speckle ; 
she  is  in  a  very  important  frame  of  mind,  and 
has  been  scolding  her  children  all  the  morning. 
I  don't  know  what  is  the  trouble ;  there  are  two 
of  her  daughters  who  seem  to  have  gone  astray 
in  some  way;  at  least  she  is  very  much  dis- 
pleased with  them.  Twice  she  has  boxed  Fluf- 
fie's  ears,  and  once  she  pulled  a  feather  out 
of  poor  Buff.  See  how  forlorn  she  seems  1 " 

By  this  time  they  were  making  their  way  to 
the  little  house  where  the  hen  lived,  Nettie 
agreeing  to  go  for  a  very  few  minutes,  declaring 
that  if  Norm  was  going  out  every  evening  there 
was  work  to  do.  He  would  need  a  clean  collar 
and  she  must  do  it  up  ;  for  mother  had  gone 
out  to  iron  for  the  day.  "Mother  is  so  grateful 
to  Mrs.  Smith  for  getting  her  a  chance  to  work," 
she  said,  as  they  paused  before  the  two  disgraced 
chickens;  "she  says  she  would  never  have 


A   SATISFACTORY   EVENING.  333 

thought  of  it  if  it  had  not  been  for  her ;  you 
know  she  always  used  to  sew.  Why,  how  funny 
those  chickens  look  !  Only  see,  Jerry,  they  are 
studying  that  eggshell  as  though  they  thought 
they  could  make  one.  Now  don't  they  look  ex- 
actly as  though  they  were  planning  something?" 

"  They  are,"  said  Jerry.  "They  are  planning 
going  to  housekeeping,  I  believe  ;  you  see  they 
have  quarreled  with  their  mother.  They  con- 
sider that  they  have  been  unjustly  punished,  and 
I  am  in  sympathy  with  them ;  and  they  believe 
they  could  make  a  house  to  live  in  out  of  that 
eggshell  if  they  could  only  think  of  a  way  to 
stick  it  together  again.  I  wish  we  could  build  a 
house  out  of  eggshells ;  or  even  one  room,  and 
we'd  have  one  before  the  month  was  over." 

"  Why  ? "  said  Nettie,  stooping  down  to  see 
why  Buff  kept  her  foot  under  her.  "  Do  you 
want  a  room,  Jerry  ?  " 

"  Somewhat,"  said  Jerry.  "At  least  I  see  a 
number  of  things  we  could  do  if  we  had  a  room, 
that  I  don't  know  how  to  do  without  one.  Come 
over  here,  Nettie,  and  sit  down  ;  leave  those 
chickens  to  sulk  it  out,  and  let  us  talk  a  little.  I 
have  a  plan  so  large  that  there  is  no  place  to 
put  it." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

EEADY    TO    TRY. 

~"V7~OTJ  see,"  said  Jerry,  as  Nettie  came,  pro* 
•"•  testing  as  she  walked  that  she  could  stay 
but  a  few  minutes,  because  there  was  Norm's 
collar,  and  she  had  four  nice  apples  out  of 
which  she  was  going  to  make  some  splendid 
apple  dumplings  for  dinner,  "you  see  we  must 
contrive  something  to  keep  a  young  fellow  like 
Norm  busy,  if  we  are  going  to  hold  him  after  he 
is  caught.  It  doesn't  do  to  catch  a  fish  and  leave 
him  on  the  edge  of  the  bank  near  enough  to 
flounce  back  into  the  water.  Norm  ought  to  be 
set  to  work  to  help  along  the  plans,  and  kept  so 
busy  he  wouldn't  have  time  to  get  tired  of  them." 
"  But  how  could  that  be  done  ?  "  Nettie  said 
in  wondering  tones,  which  nevertheless  had  a 
note  of  admiration  in  them.  Jerry  went  so 
deeply  into  things,  it  almost  took  her  breath 
away  to  follow  him. 

334 


BEADY   TO   TBY.  335 

"  Just  so ;  that's  the  problem  which  ought  to 
be  thought  out.  I  can  think  of  things  enough ; 
but  the  room,  and  the  tools  to  begin  with,  are 
the  trouble." 

"  What  have  you  thought  of  ?  What  would 
you  do  if  you  could  ?  " 

"O  my!"  said  Jerry,  with  a  little  laugh; 
"  don't  ask  rne  that  question,  or  your  folks  will 
have  no  apple  dumplings  to-day.  I  don't  believe 
there  is  any  end  to  the  things  which  I  would  do 
if  I  could.  But  the  first  beginnings  of  them  are 
like  this :  suppose  we  had  a  few  dollars  capital, 
and  a  room." 

"  You  might  as  well  suppose  we  had  a  palace, 
and  a  million  dollars,"  said  Nettie,  with  a  long- 
drawn  sigh. 

"  No,  because  I  don't  expect  either  of  those 
things ;  but  I  do  mean  to  have  a  room  and  a  few 
dollars  in  capital  for  this  thing  some  day;  only, 
you  see,  I  don't  want  to  wait  for  them." 

"Well,  go  on  ;  what  then?" 

"  Why,  then  we  would  start  an  eating-house, 
you  and  I,  on  a  little  bit  of  a  scale,  you  know. 
We  would  have  bread  with  some  kind  of  meat 
between,  and  coffee,  in  cold  weather,  and  lemon- 
ade in  hot,  and  a  few  apples,  and  now  and  then 


336      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

some  nuts,  and  a  good  deal  of  gingerbread  — 
soft,  like  what  auntie  Smith  makes  —  and  some 
ginger-snaps  like  those  Mrs.  Dix  sent  us  from 
the  country,  and,  well,  you  know  the  names  of 
things  better  than  I  do.  Real  good  things,  I 
mean,  but  which  don't  cost  much.  Such  as  you, 
and  Sarah  Ann,  and  a  good  many  bright  girls 
learn  how  to  make,  without  using  a  great  deal 
of  money.  Those  things  are  all  rather  cheap, 
which  I  have  mentioned,  because  we  have  them 
at  our  house  quite  often,  and  the  Smiths  are 
poor,  you  know.  But  they  are  made  so  nice 
that  they  are  just  capital.  Well,  I  would  have 
them  for  sale,  just  as  cheap  as  could  possibly  be 
afforded ;  a  great  deal  cheaper  than  beer,  or 
cigars,  and  I  would  have  the  room  bright  and 
cheery ;  warm  in  winter,  and  as  cool  as  I  could 
make  it  in  summer ;  then  I  would  have  slips  of 
paper  scattered  about  the  town,  inviting  young 
folks  to  come  in  and  get  a  lunch ;  then  when 
they  came,  I  would  have  picture  papers  if  I 
could,  for  them  to  look  at,  and  games  to  play, 
real  nice  jolly  games,  and  some  kind  of  music 
going  on  now  and  then.  I'd  run  opposition  to 
that  old  grocery  around  the  corner  from  Cross- 
man's,  with  its  fiddle  and  its  whiskey.  That's 


BEADY  TO   TRY.  337 

the  beginning  of  what  I  would  do.  Just  what 
I  told  you  about,  that  first  night  we  talked  it 
over.  The  fellows,  lots  of  them,  have  nowhere 
to  go  ;  it  keeps  growing  in  my  mind,  the  need 
for  doing  something  of  the  sort.  I  never  pass 
that  mean  grocery  without  thinking  of  it." 

You  should  have  seen  Nettie's  eyes !  The  lit- 
tle touch  of  discouragement  was  gone  out  of 
them,  and  they  were  full  of  intense  thought. 

"  I  can  see,"  she  said  at  last,  "just  how  splen- 
did it  might  grow  to  be.  But  what  did  yo.u 
mean  about  Norm  ?  there  isn't  any  work  for 
him  in  such  a  plan.  At  least,  I  mean,  not  until 
he  was  interested  to  help  for  the  sake  of  others." 

"Yes,  there  is,  plenty  of  business  for  him. 
Don't  you  see  ?  I  would  have  this  room,  open 
evenings,  after  the  work  was  done,  and  I  would 
have  Norm  head  manager.  He  should  wait 
on  customers,  and  keep  accounts.  When  the 
thing  got  going  he  would  be  as  busy  as  a  bee ; 
and  he  is  just  the  sort  of  fellow  to  do  that  kind 
of  thing  well,  and  like  it  too,"  he  added. 

"  O  Jerry,"  said  Nettie,  and  her  hands  were 
clasped  so  closely  that  the  blood  flowed  back 
into  her  wrists,  "  was  there  ever  a  nicer  thought 
than  that  in  the  world !  I  know  it  would  sue* 


338     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

ceed  ;  and  Norm  would  like  it  so  much.  Norm 
likes  to  do  things  for  others,  if  he  only  had  the 
chance." 

"  I  know  it ;  and  he  likes  to  do  things  in  a 
business  way,  and  keep  everything  straight. 
Oh !  he  would  be  just  the  one.  If  we  only  had 
a  room,  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  our  beginning 
in  a  very  small  way.  Those  chickens  are  grow- 
ing as  fast  as  they  can,  and  by  Thanksgiving 
there  will  be  a  couple  of  them  ready  to  broil ; 
then  the  little  old  grandmothers  did  so  well." 

"  I  know  it ;  who  would  have  supposed  that 
almost  four  dollars  could  be  made  out  of  some 
daisy  grandmothers !  Miss  Sherrill  gave  me 
one  dollar  and  ninety-five  cents  which  she  said 
was  just  half  of  what  they  had  earned.  I  do 
think  it  was  so  nice  in  her  to  give  us  that 
chance !  She  couldn't  have  known  how  mue£. 
we  wanted  the  money.  Jerry,  why  couldn't  we 
begin,  just  with  that?  It  would  start  us,  and 
then  if  the  things  sold,  why,  the  money  from, 
them  would  keep  us  started  until  we  found  a 
way  to  earn  more.  Why  can't  we  ?  " 

"Room,"  said  Jerry,  with  commendable 
brevity.  "  Why,  we  have  a  room ;  there's  the 
front  one  that  we  just  put  in  such  nice  order. 


READY   TO   TEY.  339 

Why  not?  It  is  large  enough  for  now,  and 
maybe  when  our  business  grew  we  could  get 
another  one  somehow." 

Jerry  stopped  fitting  the  toe  of  his  boot  to  s/ 
hole  which  he  had  made  in  the  ground,  and 
looked  at  the  eager  young  woman  of  business 
before  him.  "  Do  you  mean  your  mother  would 
let  us  have  the  room,  and  the  chance  in  the 
kitchen,  to  go  into  such  business  ?  " 

"Mother  would  do  anything,"  said  Nettie 
emphatically,  "anything  in  the  world  which 
might  possibly  keep  Norm  in  the  house  even- 
ings ;  you  don't  know  how  dreadfully  she  feels 
about  Norm.  She  thinks  father,"  and  there 
Nettie  stopped.  How  could  a  daughter  put  it 
into  words  that  her  mother  was  afraid  her  father 
would  lead  his  son  astray  ? 

"  I  know,"  said  Jerry.  "  See  here,  Nettie, 
what  is  the  matter  with  your  father?  I  never 
saw  him  look  so  still,  and  —  well,  queer,  in  some 
way.  Mr.  Smith  says  he  doesn't  think  he  ia 
drinking  a  drop  ;  but  he  looks  unlike  himself, 
somehow,  and  I  can't  decide  how." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Nettie,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  We  don't  know  what  to  think  of  him.  He 
hasn't  been  so  long  without  drinking,  mother 


340     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

says,  in  four  years.  But  he  doesn't  act  right ; 
or,  I  mean,  natural.  He  isn't  cross,  as  drinking 
beer  makes  him,  but  he  isn't  pleasant,  as  he  was 
for  a  day  or  two.  He  is  real  sober;  hardly 
speaks  at  all,  nor  notices  the  things  I  make  ;  and 
I  try  just  as  hard  to  please  him!  He  eats 
everything,  but  he  does  it  as  though  he  didn't 
know  he  was  eating.  Mother  thinks  he  is  in 
some  trouble,  but  she  can't  tell  what.  He  can't 
be  afraid  of  losing  his  place  — because  mother 
says  he  was  threatened  that  two  or  three  times 
when  he  was  drinking  so  hard,  and  he  didn't 
seem  to  mind  it  at  all ;  and  why  should  he  be 
discharged  now,  when  he  works  hard  every  day? 
Last  Saturday  night  he  brought  home  more 
money  than  he  has  in  years.  Mother  cried  when 
she  saw  what  there  was,  but  she  had  debts  to 
pay,  so  we  didn't  get  much  start  out  of  it  after 
all.  Then  we  spend  a  good  deal  in  coffee  ;  we 
have  it  three  times  a  day,  hot  and  strong ;  I  can 
see  father  seems  to  need  it ;  and  I  have  heard 
that  it  helped  men  who  were  trying  not  to  drink. 
When  I  told  mother  that,  she  said  he  should 
have  it  if  she  had  to  beg  for  it  on  her  knees. 
But  I  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  father 
now.  Sometimes  mother  is  afraid  there  is  a 


READY    TO    TRY.  341 

disease  coming  on  him  such  as  men  have  who 
drink ;  she  says  he  doesn't  sleep  very  well  nights, 
and  he  groans  some,  when  he  is  asleep.  Mother 
tries  hard,"  said  Nettie,  in  a  closing  burst  of 
confidence, "  and  she  does  have  such  a  hard  time ! 
If  we  could  only  save  Norm  for  her." 

"  I'll  tell  you  who  your  mother  looks  like,  or 
would  look  like  if  she  were  dressed  up,  you 
know.  Did  you  ever  see  Mrs.  Burt?" 

"  The  woman  who  lives  in  the  cottage  where 
the  vines  climb  all  around  the  front,  and  who 
has  birds,  arid  a  baby?  I  saw  her  yesterday. 
You  don't  think  mother  looks  like  her ! " 

"  She  would,"  said  Jerry,  positively,  "  if  she 
had  on  a  pink  and  white  dress  and  a  white  fold 
about  her  neck.  I  passed  there  last  night,  while 
Mrs.  Burt  was  sitting  out  by  that  window 
garden  of  hers,  with  her  baby  in  her  arms ;  Mr. 
Burt  sat  on  one  of  the  steps,  and  they  were  talk- 
ing and  laughing  together.  I  could  not  help 
noticing  how  much  like  your  mother  she  looked 
when  she  turned  her  side  face.  Oh !  she  is 
younger,  of  course  ;  she  looks  almost  as  though 
she  might  be  your  mother's  daughter.  I  was 
thinking  what  fun  it  would  be  if  she  were,  and 
we  could  go  and  visit  her,  and  get  her  to  help 


342      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

us  about  all  sorts  of  things.  Mr.  Burt  knows 
how  to  do  every  kind  of  work  about  building  a 
house,  or  fixing  up  a  room." 

"  He  is  a  nice  man,  isn't  he  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  nice  enough  ;  he  is  steady  and 
works  hard.  Mr.  Smith  thinks  he  is  quite  a 
pattern ;  he  has  bought  that  little  house  where 
he  lives,  and  fixed  it  all  up  with  vines  and  things ; 
but  I  should  like  him  better  if  he  didn't  puff 
tobacco  smoke  into  his  wife's  face  when  he  talked 
with  her.  He  doesn't  begin  to  be  so  good  a 
workman  as  your  father,  nor  to  know  so  much 
in  a  hundred  ways.  I  think  your  father  is  a  very 
nice-looking  man  when  he  is  dressed  up.  He  looks 
smart,  and  he  is  smart.  Mr.  Smith  says  there 
isn't  a  man  in  town  who  can  do  the  sort  of  work 
that  he  can  at  the  shop,  and  that  he  could  get 
very  high  wages  and  be  promoted  and  all  that, 
if"  — 

Jerry  stopped  suddenly,  and  Nettie  finished 
the  sentence  with  a  sigh.  She  too  had  passed 
the  Burt  cottage  and  admired  its  beauty  and 
neatness.  To  think  that  Mr.  Burt  owned  it,  and 
was  a  younger  man  by  fifteen  years  at  least  than 
her  father — and  was  not  so  good  a  workman  ! 
then  see  how  well  he  dressed  his  wife ;  and  lit- 


BEADY    TO    TRY.  343 

tie  Bobby  Burt  looked  as  neat  and  pretty  in 
Sunday-school  as  the  best  of  them.  It  was  very 
hard  that  there  must  be  such  a  difference  in 
homes.  If  she  could  only  live  in  a  house  like 
the  Burt  cottage,  and  have  things  nice  about 
her  as  they  did,  and  have  her  father  and  mother 
sit  together  and  talk,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burt  did, 
she  should  be  perfectly  happy,  Nettie  told  her- 
self. Then  she  sprang  up  from  the  log  and  de- 
clared that  she  must  not  waste  another  minute 
of  time  ;  but  that  Jerry's  plan  was  the  best  one 
she  had  ever  heard,  and  she  believed  they  could 
begin  it. 

With  this  thought  still  in  mind,  after  the  din- 
ner dishes  were  carefully  cleared  away,  and  her 
mother,  returned  from  the  day's  ironing,  had 
been  treated  to  a  piece  of  the  apple  dumpling 
warmed  over  for  her,  and  had  said  it  was  as  nice 
a  bit  as  she  ever  tasted,  Nettie  began  on  the 
subject  which  had  been  in  her  thoughts  all  day  : 

"  What  would  you  think  of  us  young  folks  go- 
ing into  business  ?  " 

"  Going  into  business ! " 

"Yes'm.  Jerry  and  Norm  and  me.  Jerry 
has  a  plan  ;  he  has  been  telling  me  about  it  this 
morning.  It  is  nice  if  we  can  only  carry  it  out ; 


344       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  we  could.  That  is,  if 
you  think  well  of  it." 

"  I  begin  to  think  there  isn't  much  that  you 
and  Jerry  can't  do,  with  Norm,  or  with  anybody 
else,  if  you  try ;  and  you  both  appear  to  be  ready 
to  try  to  do  all  you  can  for  everybody." 

Mrs.  Decker's  tone  was  so  hearty  and  pleased, 
that  you  would  not  have  known  her  for  the  same 
woman  who  looked  forward  dismally  but  a  few 
weeks  ago  to  Nettie's  home-coming.  Her  heart 
had  so  warmed  to  the  girl  in  her  efforts  for 
father  and  brother,  that  she  was  almost  ready  to 
agree  to  anything  which  she  could  have  to  pro- 
pose. So  Nettie,  well  pleased  with  this  begin- 
ning, unfolded  with  great  clearness  and  detail, 
Jerry's  wonderful  plan  for  not  only  catching 
Norm,  but  setting  him  up  in  business. 

Mrs.  Decker  listened,  and  questioned  and, 
cross-questioned,  sewing  swiftly  the  while  on 
Norm's  jacket  which  had  been  torn,  and  which 
was  being  skilfully  darned  in  view  of  the  even- 
ing to  be  spent  at  the  parsonage. 

"Well,"  she  said  at  last,  "  it  looks  wild  to  me, 
I  own  ;  I  should  as  soon  try  to  flyf  as  of  making 
anything  like  that  work  in  this  town ;  but  then, 
you've  made  things  work,  you  two,  that  I'd  no 


BEADY    TO    TRY.  345 

notion  could  be  done,  and  between  you,  you 
seem  to  kind  of  bewitch  Norm.  He's  done 
things  for  you  that  I  would  no  sooner  have 
thought  of  asking  of  him  than  I  would  have  asked 
him  to  fly  up  to  the  moon;  and  this  may  be 
another  of  them.  Anyhow,  if  you've  a  mind  to 
try  it,  I  won't  be  the  one  to  stop  you.  I've  been 
that  scared  for  Norm,  that  I'm  ready  for  any- 
thing. Oh  !  the  room,  of  course  you  may  use  it. 
If  you  wanted  to  have  a  circus  in  there,  I  think 
I'd  agree,  wild  animals  and  all ;  I've  had  worse 
than  wild  animals  in  my  day.  No,  your  father 
won't  object ;  he  thinks  what  you  do  is  about 
right,  I  guess.  And  for  the  matter  of  that,  he 
doesn't  object  to  anything  nowadays ;  I  don't 
know  what  to  make  of  him." 

The  sentence  ended  with  a  long-drawn, 
troubled*sigh. 

Just  what  this  strange  change  in  her  husband 
meant,  Mrs.  Decker  could  not  decide;  and  each 
theory  which  she  started  in  her  mind  about  it, 
looked  worse  than  the  last. 

Norm's  collar  was  ready  for  him,  so  was  his 
jacket.  He  was  somewhat  surly ;  the  truth  was, 
he  had  received  what  he  called  a  "bid"  to  the 
merry-making  which  was  to  take  place  in  the 


346      LITTLE    FISHEKS:     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

back  room  of  the  grocery,  around  the  corner 
from  Grossman's,  and  he  was  a  good  deal  tried 
to  think  he  had  cut  himself  off  by  what  he 
called  a  "  spooney  "  promise,  from  enjoying  the 
evening  there.  At  the  same  time  there  was  a 
certain  sense  of  largeness  in  saying  he  could  not 
come  because  he  had  received  an  invitation 
elsewhere,  which  gave  him  a  momentary  pleas- 
ure. To  be  sure  the  boys  coaxed  until  they  had 
discovered  the  place  of  his  engagement,  and 
joked  him  the  rest  of  the  time,  until  he  was  half- 
inclined  to  wish  he  had  never  heard  of  the  par- 
sonage ;  but  for  all  that,  a  certain  something  in 
Norman  which  marked  him  as  different  from 
some  boys,  held  him  to  his  word  when  it  was 
passed  ;  and  he  had  no  thought  of  breaking  from 
his  engagement.  It  was  an  evening  such  as 
Norman  had  reason  to  remember.  For*  the  first 
time  in  his  life  he  sat  in  a  pleasantly  furnished 
home,  among  ladies  and  gentlemen,  and  heard 
himself  spoken  to  as  one  who  "belonged." 

Three  ladies  were  there  from  the  city,  and  two 
gentlemen  whom  Norman  had  never  seen  be- 
fore ;  all  friends  of  the  Sherrills  come  out  to 
spend  a  day  with  them.  They  were  not  only 
unlike  any  people  whom  he  had  ever  seen  before, 


READY    TO    TRY.  347 

but,  if  he  had  known  it,  unlike  a  great  many 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  that  their  chief  aim  in 
life  was  to  be  found  in  their  Master's  service ; 
and  a  boy  about  whom  they  knew  nothing,  save 
tli  at  he  was  poor,  and  surrounded  by  tempta- 
tions, and  Satan  desired  to  have  him,  was  in 
their  eyes  so  much  stray  material  which  they 
were  bound  to  bring  back  to  the  rightful  owner 
if  they  could. 

To  this  end  they  talked  to  Norman.  Not  in 
the  form  of  a  lecture,  but  with  bright,  winning 
words,  on  topics  which  he  could  understand, 
not  only,  but  actually  on  certain  topics  aoou- 
which  he  knew  more  than  they  For  instance, 
there  was  a  cave  about  two  miles  from  the  town, 
J>£  which  they  had  heard,  but  had  never  &3en  * 
and  Norm  had  explored  every  crevice  in  it  many 
a  lime,  -  He  knew  on  which  side  of  the  river  :i 
was  located,  wnether  the  entrance  was  from  ths 
east  or  the  south  ;  just  how  far  one  could  •wall: 
jnrough  it,  just  how  far  one  could  creep  in  it, 
after  walking  had  become  impossible,  and  a 
dozen  other  things  which  it  had  not  occurred  to 
him  were  of  interest  to  anybody  else.  In  fact, 
Norm  discovered  in  the  course  of  the  hour  that 
there  was  such  a  thing  as  conversation.  Not 


LITTLE   FISHEES:    AND   THEIE  NETS. 

that  he  made  use  of  that  word,  in  thinking  it 
over  ;  his  thoughts,  if  they  could  have  been  seen, 
would  have  been  something  like  this  :  "  These 
are  swell  folks,  but  I  can  understand  what  they 
say,  and  they  seem  to  understand  what^I  say, 
and  don't  stare  as  though  I  was  a  wild  animal 
escaped  from  the  woods.  I  wonder  what  makes 
the  difference  between  them  and  other  folks?" 

But  when  the  music  began  !  I  have  no  words 
to  describe  to  you  what  it  was  to  Norm  to  sit 
close  to  an  organ  and  hear  its  softest  notes,  and 
feel  the  thrill  of  its  heavy  bass  tones,  and  be  ap- 
pealed to  occasionally  as  to  whether  he  liked 
this  or  that  the  best,  and  to  have  a  piece  sung 
because  the  player  thought  it  would  please  him ; 
she  selected  it  that  morning,  she  told  him,  with 
this  thought  in  view. 

"  Decker,  you  ought  to  learn  to  play,"  said  one 
of  the  guests  who  had  watched  him  through  the 
last  piece.  "You  look  music,  right  out  of  your 
eyes.  Miss  Sherrill,  here  is  a  pupil  for  you  who 
might  do  you  credit.  Have  you  ever  had  any 
instrument,  Decker  ?  " 

Then  Norm  came  back  to  every-day  life,  and 
flushed  and  stammered.  "  No,  he  hadn't,  and 
was  not  likely  to;"  and  wondered  what  they 


BEADY    TO    TRY.  349 

would  think  if  they  were  to  see  the  corner 
grocery  where  he  spent  most  of  his  leisure 
time. 

The  questioner  laughed  pleasantly.  "  Oh,  I'm 
not  so  sure  of  that.  I  have  a  friend  who  plays 
the  violin  in  a  way  to  bring  tears  to  people's 
eyes,  and  he  never  touched  one  until  he  was 
thirty  years  old ;  hadn't  time  until  then.  He 
was  an  apprentice,  and  had  his  trade  to  master, 
and  himself  to  get  well  started  in  it  before  he 
had  time  for  music ;  but  when  he  came  to  leis- 
ure, he  made  music  a  delight  to  himself  and 
to  others." 

"  A  great  deal  can  be  done  with  leisure  time," 
said  another  of  the  guests.  "  Mr.  Sherrill,  you 
remember  Myers,  your  college  classmate  ?  He 
did  not  learn  to  read,  you  know,  until  he  was 
seventeen." 

"What? "said  Norm,  astonished  out  of  his 
diffidence ;  "  didn't  know  how  to  read !  " 

"  No,"  repeated  the  gentleman,  "  not  until  he 
was  seventeen.  He  had  a  hard  childhood  —  was 
kicked  about  in  the  world,  with  no  leisure  and 
no  help,  had  to  work  evenings  as  well  as  days, 
but  when  he  was  seventeen  he  fell  into  kinder 
hands,  and  had  a  couple  of  hours  each  evening 


350      LITTLE    FISHEES  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

all  to  himself,  and  he  mastered  reading,  not 
only,  but  all  the  common  studies,  and  graduated 
from  college  with  honor  when  he  was  twenty- 
six." 

Now  Norm  had  all  his  evenings  to  lounge 
about  in,  and  had  not  known  what  to  do  with 
them ;  and  he  could  read  quite  well. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    WAY   HADE    PLAIN. 

"TT  was  a  beautiful  Sabbath  afternoon;  just 
•*•  warm  enough  to  make  people  feel  still 
and  pleasant.  The  soft  summer  sunshine  lay 
smiling  on  all  the  world,  and  the  soft  sum- 
mer breeze  rustled  the  leaves  of  the  trees, 
and  stole  gently  in  at  open  windows.  In  the 
front  room  of  the  Deckers,  the  family  was 
gathered,  all  save  Mr.  Decker.  He  could  be 
heard  in  his  bedroom  stepping  about  occasion- 
ally, and  great  was  his  wife's  fear  lest  he  was 
preparing  to  go  down  town  and  put  himself  in 
the  place  of  temptation  at  his  old  lounging  place. 
Sunday  could  not  be  said  to  be  a  day  of  rest  tx> 
Mrs.  Decker.  It  had  been  the  day  of  her  great- 
est trials,  so  far.  Norm  was  in  his  clean  shirt 
and  collar,  which  had  been  done  up  again  by 
Nettie's  careful  hands  and  which  shone  beauti- 
fully. He  was  also  in  his  shirt  sleeves  ;  that  the 
35* 


352     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

mother  was  glad  to  see ;  he  was  not  going  out 
just  yet,  anyway.  Mrs.  Decker  had  honored 
the  day  with  a  clean  calico  dress,  and  had  shyly 
and  with  an  almost  shamefaced  air,  pinned  into 
it  a  little  cambric  ruffle  which  Nettie  had  pre- 
sented her,  with  the  remark  that  it  was  just  like 
the  one  Mrs.  Burt  wore,  and  that  Jerry  said  she 
looked  like  Mrs.  Burt  a  little,  only  he  thought 
she  was  the  best-looking  of  the  two.  Mrs. 
Decker  had  laughed,  and  then  sighed  ;  and  said 
it  made  dreadful  little  difference  to  her  how  she 
looked.  But  the  sigh  meant  that  the  days  were 
not  so  very  far  distant  when  Mr.  Decker  used 
to  tell  her  she  was  a  handsome  woman  ;  and  she 
used  to  smile  over  it,  and  call  him  a  foolish  man 
without  any  taste;  but  nevertheless  used  to  like 
it  very  much,  and  make  herself  look  as  well  as 
she  could  for  his  sake. 

She  hadn't  done  it  lately,  but  whose  fault  was 
{fiat,  she  should  like  to  know  ?  However,  she 
pinned  the  ruffle  in,  and  whether  Mr.  Decker 
noticed  it  or  not,  she  certainly  looked  wonder- 
fully better.  Norm  noticed  it,  but  of  course  he 
would  not  have  said  so  for  the  world.  Nettie 
in  her  blue  and  white  gingham  which  had  been 
washed  and  ironed  since  the  flower  party,  and 


THE   WAY   MADE    PLAIN.  353 

which  had  faded  a  little  and  shrunken  a  little, 
still  looked  neat  and  trim,  and  had  the  little  girls 
one  on  either  side  of  her,  telling  them  a  story  in 
low  tones ;  not  so  low  but  that  the  words  floated 
over  to  the  window  where  Norm  was  pretending 
not  to  listen :  "  And  so,"  said  the  voice,  "  Daniel 
let  himself  be  put  into  a  den  of  dreadful  fierce 
lions,  rather  than  give  up  praying." 

"Did  they  frow  him  in  ?"  this  question  from 
little  Sate,  horror  in  every  letter  of  the  words. 

"Yes,  they  did  ;  and  shut  the  door  tight." 

"  I  wouldn't  have  been,"  said  fierce  Susie ; 
"  I  would  have  bitten,  and  scratched  and  kicked 
just  awful ! " 

"Why  didn't  Daniel  shut  up  the  window  just 
as  tight,  and  not  let  anybody  know  it  when  he 
said  his  prayers?" 

Oh  little  Sate!  how  many  older  and  wiser 
ones  than  you  have  tried  to  slip  around  con- 
science corners  in  some  such  way. 

"I  don't  know  all  the  reasons,"  said  Nettie, 
after  a  thoughtful  pause,  "but  I  suppose  one 
was,  because  he  wouldn't  act  in  a  way  to  make 
people  believe  he  had  given  up  praying.  He 
wanted  to  show  them  that  he  meant  to  pray, 
whether  they  forbade  it  or  not." 


354     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

"  Go  on,"  said  Susie,  sharply, "  I  want  to  know 
how  he  felt  when  the  lions  bit  him." 

"They  didn't  bite  him";  God  wouldn't  let 
them  touch  him.  They  crouched  down  and 
kept  as  still,  all  night ;  and  in  the  morning  when 
the  king  came  to  look,  there  was  Daniel,  safe  ! " 

"  Oh  my  !  "  said  Sate,  drawing  a  long,  quiver- 
ing sigh  of  relief;  "  wasn't  that  just  splendid ! " 

"  How  do  you  know  it  is  true  ?  "  said  skeptical 
Susie,  looking  as  though  she  was  prepared  not 
to  believe  anything. 

"  I  know  it  because  God  said  it,  Susie  ;  he  put 
it  in  the  Bible." 

"I  didn't  ever  hear  him  say  it,"  said  Susie 
with  a  frown.  A  laugh  from  Norm  at  that  mo- 
ment gave  Nettie  her  first  knowledge  of  him  as 
a  listener.  Her  cheeks  grew  red,  and  she  would 
have  liked  to  slip  away  into  a  more  quiet  corner 
but  Sate  was  in  haste  to  hear  just  what  the  king 
said,  and  what  Daniel  said,  and  all  about  it,  and 
the  story  went  on  steadily,  Daniel's  character 
for  true  bravery  shining  out  all  the  more 
strongly,  perhaps,  because  Nettie  suspected  her- 
self of  being  a  coward,  and  not  liking  Norm  to 
laugh  at  her  Bible  stories.  As  for  Norm,  he 
knew  he  was  a  coward  j  he  knew  he  had  done  in 


THE    WAY    MADE    PLAIN.  355 

his  life  dozens  of  things  to  make  his  mother 
cry  ;  not  because  he  was  so  anxious  to  do  them, 
nor  because  he  feare'd  a  den  of  lions  if  he  re- 
fused, but  simply  because  some  of  the  fellows 
would  laugh  at  him  if  he  did. 

That  Sabbath  day  had  been  a  memorable  one 
to  the  Decker  family  in  some  respects;  at  least 
to  part  of  it.  Nettie  had  taken  the  little  girls 
with  her  to  Sabbath-school,  and  then  to  church. 
Mrs.  Smith  had  given  her  a  cordial  invitation  to 
sit  in  their  seat,  but  it  was  not  a  very  large  seat, 
and  when  Job  and  his  wife,  and  Sarah  Ann  and 
Jerry  were  all  there,  as  they  were  apt  to  be,  there 
was  just  room  for  Nettie  without  the  little  girls ; 
so  she  went  with  them  to  the  seat  directly  under 
the  choir  gallery  where  very  few  sat.  It  was 
comfortable  enough  ;  she  could  see  the  minister 
distinctly,  and  though  she  had  to  stretch  outlier 
neck  to  see  the  choir,  she  could  hear  their  sweet 
voices  ;  and  surely  that  was  enough.  All  went 
smoothly  until  the  sermon  was  concluded.  Sate 
sat  quite  still,  and  if  she  did  not  listen  to  the 
sermon,  listened  to  her  own  thoughts  and 
troubled  no  one. 

But  when  the  anthem  began,  Sate  roused  her- 
self. That  wonderful  voice  which  seemed  to  fill 


356    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

every  corner  of  the  church !  She  knew  the 
voice ;  it  belonged  to  her  dear  teacher.  She 
stretched  out  her  little  neck,  and  could  catch  a 
glimpse  of  her,  standing  alone,  the  rest  of  the  choir 
sitting  back,  out  of  sight.  And  what  was  that 
she  was  saying,  over  and  over  ?  "  Come  unto  Me, 
unto  Me,  unto  Me  "  —  the  words  were  repeated 
in  the  softest  of  cadences  —  "all  ye  who  are 
weary  and  heavy  laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
Sate  did  not  understand  those  words,  certainly 
her  little  feet  were  not  weary,  but  there  was  a 
sweetness  about  the  word  "  rest "  as  it  floated 
out  on  the  still  air,  which  made  her  seem  to  want 
to  go,  she  knew  not-  whither.  Then  came  the 
refrain  :  "  Come  unto  Me,  unto  Me,"  swelling 
and  rolling  until  it  filled  all  the  aisles,  and  dying 
away  at  last  in  the  tenderest  of  pleading  sounds. 
Sate's  heart  beat  fast,  and  the  color  came  and 
went  on  her  baby  face  in  a  way  which  would  have 
startled  Nettie  had  she  not  been  too  intent  on  her 
own  exquisite  delight  in  the  music,  to  remember 
the  motionless  little  girl  at  her  left. 

"  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  Me, 
learn  of  Me,"  called  the  sweet  voice,  and  Sate, 
understanding  the  last  of  it  felt  that  she  wanted 
to  ^arn,  and  of  that  One  above  all  others.  "  For 


THE   WAY   MADE   PLAIN.  357 

I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart" — she  did  not 
know  what  the  words  meant,  but  she  was  drawn, 
drawn.  Then,  listening,  breathless,  half  resolved, 
came  again  that  wondrous  pleading,  "  Come 
unto  Me,  unto  Me,  unto  Me."  Softly  the  little 
feet  slid  down  to  the  carpeted  floor,  softly  they 
stepped  on  the  green  and  gray  mosses  which 
gave  back  no  sound  ;  softly  they  moved  down 
the  aisle  as  though  they  carried  a  spirit  with 
them,  and  when  Nettie,  hearing  no  sound,  yet 
turned  suddenly  as  people  will,  to  look  after  her 
charge,  little  Sate  was  gone !  Where  ?  Nettie 
did  not  know,  could  not  conjecture.  No  sight 
of  her  in  the  aisle,  not  under  the  seat,  not  in  the 
great  church  anywhere.  The  door  was  open 
into  the  hall,  and  poor  little  tired  Sate  must 
have  slipped  away  into  the  sunshine  outside. 
"Well,  no  harm  could  come  to  her  there;  she 
would  surely  wait  for  them,  or,  failing  in  that, 
the  road  home  was  direct  enough,  and  nothing 
to  trouble  her ;  but  how  strange  in  little  Sate  to 
do  it !  If  it  had  been  Susie,  resolute,  indepen- 
dent Susie  always  sufficient  to  herself  and  a  little 
more  ready  to  do  as  she  pleased  than  any  other 
way !  But  Susie  sat  up  prim  and  dignified  on 
Nettie's  right ;  not  very  conscious  of  the  music, 


358    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

and  willing  enough  to  have  the  service  over,  but 
conscious  that  she  had  on  her  new  shoes,  and  a 
white  dress,  and  a  white  bonnet,  and  looked  very 
well  indeed.  Meantime,  little  Sate  was  not  out 
in  the  sunshine.  She  had  not  thought  of  sun- 
Rhine  ;  she  had  been  called  ;  it  was  not  possible 
for  her  sweet  little  heart  to  get  away  from  the 
feeling  that  some  one  was  calling  her,  and  that 
she  wanted  to  go.  What  better  was  there  to 
do  than  follow  the  voice  ?  So  she  followed  it, 
out  into  the  hall,  up  the  gallery  stairs,  still  softly 
—  the  new  shoes  made  no  sound  on  the  carpet  — 
through  the  door  which  stood  ajar,  quite  to 
the  singer's  side,  there  slipped  this  quiet  little 
woman  who  had  left  her  white  bonnet  by  Nettie, 
and  stood  with  her  golden  head  rippling  with 
the  sunlight  which  fell  upon  it.  There  was  a 
rustle  in  the  choir  gallery,  a  soft  stir  over  the 
church,  the  sort  of  sound  which  people  make 
when  they  are  moved  by  some  deep  feeling  which 
they  hardly  understand ;  there  was  a  smile  on 
some  faces,  but  it  was  the  kind  of  smile  which 
might  be  given  to  a  baby  angel  if  it  had  strayed 
away  from  heaven  to  look  at  something  bright 
down  here.  The  tenor  singer  would  have 
drawn  away  the  small  form  from  the  soloist,  but 


LITTLE   SATE   IN  THE   CHOIR   GALLERY.  359 


THE   WAT    MA  UK    PLAIN.  359 

she  put  forth  a  protecting  hand  and  circled  the 
child,  and  sang  on,  her  voice  taking  sweeter  tone, 
if  possible,  and  dying  away  in  such  tenderness 
as  made  the  smiles  on  some  faces  turn  to  tears, 
and  made  the  echo  linger  with  them  of  that  last 
tremulous  "  Come  unto  Me." 

But  little  Sate,  when  she  reached  the  choir 
gallery,  saw  something  which  startled  her  out  of 
her  sweet  resolute  calm.  Away  on  the  side,  up 
there,  where  few  people  were,  sat  her  own 
father  ;  and  rolling  down  his  cheeks  were  tears. 
Sate  had  never  seen  her  father  cry  before. 
What  was  the  matter  ?  Had  she  been  naughty, 
and  was  it  making  him  feel  bad?  She  stole  a 
startled  glance  at  the  face  of  her  teacher,  whose 
arm  was  still  around  her  and  had  drawn  her  to- 
ward the  seat  into  which  she  dropped,  when  the 
song  was  over.  No,  her  face  was  quiet  and 
sweet;  not  grieved,  as  Sate  was  sure  it  would 
be,  if  she  had  been  naughty.  Neither  did  the 
people  look  cross  at  her ;  many  of  them  had 
bowed  their  heads  in  prayer,  but  some  were  sit- 
ting erect,  looking  at  her  and  smiling ;  surely 
she  had  made  no  noise.  Why  should  her 
father  cry  ?  She  looked  at  him  ;  he  had  shaded 
his  face  with  his  hand.  Was  he  crying  still  ? 


360     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

Little  Sate  thought  it  over,  all  in  a  moment  of 
time,  then  suddenly  she  slipped  away  from  the 
encircling  arm,  moved  softly  across  the  interven- 
ing space,  into  the  side  gallery,  and  was  at  her 
father's  side,  with  her  small  hand  on  his  sleeve. 
He  stooped  and  took  her  in  his  arms,  and  the 
tears  were  still  in  his  eyes ;  but  he  kissed  her, 
and  kissed  her,  as  little  Sate  had  never  been 
kissed  before  ;  she  nestled  in  his  arms  and  felt 
safe  and  comforted. 

The  prayer  was  over,  the  benediction  given, 
and  the  worshipers  moved  down  the  aisles. 
Sate  rode  comfortably  in  her  father's  arms,  down 
stairs,  out  into  the  hall,  outside,  in  the  sunshine, 
waiting  for  Nettie  and  for  her  white  sunbonnet. 
Presently  Nettie  came,  hurried,  flushed,  despite 
her  judgment,  anxious  as  to  where  the  bonnet- 
less  little  girl  could  have  vanished.  "  Why, 
Sate,"  she  began,  but  the  rest  of  the  sentence 
died  in  astonished  silence  on  her  lips,  for  Sate 
held  her  father's  hand  and  looked  content. 

They  walked  home  together,  the  father  and  his 
youngest  baby,  saying  nothing,  for  Sate  was  one 
of  those  wise-eyed  little  children  who  have  spells 
of  sweet  silence  come  over  them,  and  Nettie, 
with  Susie,  walked  behind,  the  elder  sister  spec- 


THE    WAY    MADE    PLAIN.  361 

ulating:  "Where  did  little  Sate  find  father? 
Did  he  pick  her  upon  the  street  somewhere,  and 
would  he  be  angry,  and  not  let  Nettie  take  her 
to  church  any  more  ?  Or  did  he,  passing,  spy 
her  in  the  churchyard  and  come  in  for  her?" 

Nettie  did  not  know,  and  Sate  did  not  tell; 
principally  because  she  did  not  understand  that 
there  was  anything  to  tell.  So  while  the  peo- 
ple in  their  homes  talked  and  laughed  about  the 
small  white  waif  who  had  slipped  into  the  choir, 
the  people  in  this  home  were  entirely  silent 
about  it,  and  the  mother  did  not  know  that  any- 
thing strange  had  happened.  It  is  true,  Susie 
began  to  inquire  reprovingly,  but  was  hushed  by 
Nettie's  warning  whisper  ;  certainly  Nettie  was 
gaining  a  wonderful  control  over  the  self-suffi- 
cient Susie.  The  child  respected  her  almost 
enough  to  follow  her  lead  unquestioningly,  which 
was  a  great  deal  for  Susie  to  do. 

So  they  sat  together  that  sweet  Sabbath  after- 
noon, Nettie  telling  her  Bible  stories,  and  won- 
dering how  she  should  plan.  What  did  Norm 
intend  to  do  a  little  later  in  the  day?  What 
was  there  she  could  do  to  keep  him  from  loung- 
ing down  street  ?  Why  was  her  father  staying 
so  long  in  the  choked-up  bedroom?  What  was  the 


362      LITTLE    FISHEKS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

matter  with  her  father  these  days,  and  how  long 
was  anything  going  to  last?  Why  did  she  feel, 
someway,  as  though  she  stood  on  the  very  edge 
of  something  which  startled  and  almost  fright- 
ened her  ?  Was  it  because  she  was  afraid  her 
father  would  not  let  her  take  Sate  and  Susie  to 
church  any  more  ? 

With  all  these  thoughts  floating  through  her 
mind,  it  was  rather  hard  to  keep  herself  closely 
confined  to  Daniel  and  his  experiences.  Sud- 
denly the  bedroom  door  opened  and  her  father 
came  out.  Everybody  glanced  up,  though  per- 
haps nobody  could  have  told  why.  There  was 
a  peculiar  look  on  his  face.  Mrs.  Decker  noticed 
it  and  did  not  understand  it,  and  felt  her  heart 
beat  in  great  thuds  against  the  back  of  her  chair. 
Little  Sate  noticed  it,  and  went  over  to  him  and 
slipped  her  hand  inside  his.  He  sat  down  in  the 
state  chair  which  Nettie  and  her  mother  had 
both  contrived  to  have  left  vacant,  and  took  Sate 
in  his  arms.  This  of  itself  was  unusual,  but  after 
that,  there  was  silence,  Sate  nestling  safely  in 
the  protective  arms  and  seeming  satisfied  with 
all  the  world.  Nettie  felt  her  face  flush,  and  her 
bosom  heave  as  if  the  tears  were  coming,  but 
she  could  not  have  told  why  she  wanted  to  cry 


THE   WAY   MADE   PLAHf.  363 

Norm  seemed  oppressed  with  the  stillness,  and 
broke  it  by  whistling  softly;  also  he  had  a  small 
stick  and  was  whittling ;  it  was  the  only  thing 
he  could  think  of  to  do  just  now.  It  was  too 
early  to  go  out ;  the  boys  would  not  be  through 
with  their  boarding-house  dinners  yet.  Sud- 
denly Mr.  Decker  broke  in  on  the  almost  silence. 
"  Hannah,"  he  said,  then  he  cleared  his  voice,  and 
was  still  again,  "  and  you  children,"  he  added, 
after  a  moment,  "  I've  got  something  to  tell  you 
if  I  knew  how.  Something  that  I  guess  you  will 
be  glad  to  hear.  I've  turned  over  a  new  leaf  at 
last.  I've  turned  it,  off  and  on,  in  my  mind  a  good 
many  times  lately,  though  I  don't  know  as  any 
of  you  knew  it.  I've  been  thinking  about  this 
thing,  well,  as  soon  as  Nannie  there  came  home, 
at  least ;  but  I  haven't  understood  it  very  well, 
and  I  s'pose  I  don't  now;  but  I  understand  it 
enough  to  have  made  up  my  mind  ;  and  that's 
more  than  half  the  battle.  The  long  and  short 
of  it  is,  I  have  given  myself  to  the  Lord,  or  he 
has  got  hold  of  me,  somehow  ;  it  isn't  much  of 
a  gift,  that's  a  fact,  but  the  queer  thing  about  it 
is,  he  seems  to  think  it  worth  taking.  I  told 
him  last  night  that  if  he  would  show  a  poor 
stick  like  me  how  to  do  it,  why,  I'd  do  my  part 


364    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

without  fail;  and  this  morning  he  not  only 
showed  the  way  plain  enough,  but  he  sent  my 
little  girl  to  help  me  along." 

The  father's  voice  broke  then,  and  a  tear 
trembled  in  his  eye.  Sate  had  held  her  little 
head  erect  and  looked  steadily  at  him  as  soon  as 
he  began  to  talk,  wonder  and  interest,  and  some 
sort  of  still  excitement  in  her  face  as  she  listened. 
At  his  first  pause  she  broke  forth : 

"Did  He  mean  you,  papa,  when  He  said 
4  Come  unto  Me '  ?  Was  He  calling  you,  all  the 
time?  and  did  you  tell  Him  you  would?" 

"Yes,"  he  said,  bending  and  kissing  the 
earnest  face,  "  He  meant  me,  and  He's  been  call- 
ing me  loud,  this  good  while  ;  but  I  never  got 
started  till  to-day.  Now  I'm  going  along  with 
Him  the  rest  of  the  way." 

"  I'm  so  glad,"  said  little  Sate,  nestling  con- 
tentedly back,  "  I'm  so  glad,  papa ;  I'm  going 
too." 


CHAPTER  XXI, 

THE   NEW   ENTEBPEISK. 

bright  and  never-to-be-forgotten  day, 
Nettie  and  Jerry  stood  together  in  the 
"new"  room  and  surveyed  with  intense  satis- 
faction all  its  appointments.  They  were  ready 
to  begin  business.  On  that  very  evening  the 
room  was  to  be  "  open  to  the  public  ! "  They 
looked  at  each  other  as  they  repeated  that 
large-sounding  phrase,  and  laughed  gleefully. 

There  had  been  a  great  deal  to  do  to  get 
ready.  Hours  and  even  days  had  been  spent  in 
planning.  It  astonished  both  these  young  peo- 
ple to  discover  how  many  things  there  were  to 
think  of,  and  get  ready  for,  and  guard  against, 
before  one  could  go  into  business.  There  was 
a  time  when  with  each  new  day,  new  perplexi- 
ties arose.  During  those  days  Jerry  had  spent 
a  good  deal  of  his  leisure  in  fishing;  both  be- 
cause at  the  Smiths,  and  also  at  the  Deckers, 
365 


366      LITTLE    PISHEKS:     AND    THEIB   NETS. 

fish  were  highly  prized,  and  also  because,  as  he 
confided  to  Nettie,  "  a  fellow  could  somehow 
think  a  great  deal  better  when  his  fingers  were 
at  work,  and  when  it  was  still  everywhere  about 
him." 

There  were  times,  however,  when  his  solitude 
was  disturbed.  There  had  been  one  day  in 
particular  when  something  happened  about 
which  he  did  not  tell  Nettie.  He  was  in  his 
fishing  suit,  which  though  clean  and  whole  was 
not  exactly  the  style  of  dress  which  a  boy  would 
wear  to  a  party,  and  he  stood  leaning  against  a 
rail  fence,  rod  in  hand,  trying  to  decide  whether 
he  should  try  his  luck  on  that  side,  or  jump 
across  the  logs  to  a  shadier  spot ;  trying  also  to 
decide  just  how  they  could  manage  to  get  an- 
other lamp  to  stand  on  the  reading  table,  when 
he  heard  voices  under  the  trees  just  back  of 
him. 

They -were  whispering  in  that  sort  of  pene- 
trating whisper  that  floats  so  far  in  the  open 
air,  and  which  some,  girls,  particularly,  do  not 
seem  to  know  can  be  heard  a  few  feet  away. 
Jerry  could  hear  distinctly ;  in  fact  unless  he 
stopped  his  ears  with  his  hands  he  could  not 
help  hearing. 


THE    NEW   ENTERPRISE.  367 

And  the  old  rule,  that  listeners  never  hear  any 
good  of  themselves,  applied  here. 

"  There's  that  Jerry  who  lives  at  the  Smiths'," 
said  whisperer  number  one,  "  do  look  what  a 
fright ;  I  guess  he  has  borrowed  a  pair  of  Job 
Smith's  overalls !  Isn't  it  a  shame  that  such  a 
nice-looking  boy  is  deserted  in  that  way,  and 
left  to  run  with  all  sorts  of  people?" 

"  I  heard  that  he  wasn't  deserted ;  that  his 
father  was  only  staying  out  West,  or  down 
South,  or  somewhere  for  awhile." 

"  Oh !  that's  a  likely  story,"  said  whisperer 
number  one,  her  voice  unconsciously  growing 
louder.  "Just  as  if  any  father  who  was  anybody, 
would  leave  a  boy  at  Job  Smith's  for  months, 
and  never  come  near  him.  I  think  it  is  real 
mean ;  they  say  the  Smiths  keep  him  at  work 
all  the  while,  fishing ;  he  about  supports  them, 
and  the  Deckers  too,  with  fish  and  things." 

At  this  point  the  amused  listener  nearly  for- 
got himself  and  whistled. 

"Oh  well,  that's  as  good  a  way  as  any  to 
spend  his  time ;  he  knows  enough  to  catch  fish 
and  do  such  things,  and  when  he  is  old  enough,  I 
suppose  he  will  leam  a  trade ;  but  I  must  say  I 
think  he  is  a  nice-looking  fellow." 


368       LITTLE    FISHEBS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

"He  would  be,  if  he  dressed  decently.  The 
hoys  like  him  real  well;  they  say  he  is  smart ; 
and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  was ;  his  eyes 
twinkle  as  though  he  might  be.  If  he  wouldn't 
keep  running  with  that  Decker  girl  all  the  time, 
he  migh£  be  noticed  now  and  then." 

At  this  point  came  up  a  third  young  miss  who 
spoke  louder.  Jerry  recognized  her  voice  at  once 
as  belonging  to  Lorena  Barstow.  "  Girls,  what 
are  you  doing  here?  Why,  there  is  that  Irish 
boy ;  I  wonder  if  he  wouldn't  sell  us  some  fish  ? 
They  say  he  is  very  anxious  to  earn  money ;  I 
should  think  he  would  be,  to  get  himself  some 
decent  clothes.  Or  maybe  he  wants  to  make 
his  dear  Nan  a  present." 

Then  followed  a  laugh  which  was  quickly 
hushed,  lest  the  victim  might  hear.  But  the 
victim  had  heard,  and  looked  more  than  amused  ; 
his  eyes  flashed  with  a  new  idea. 

"Much  obliged,  Miss  Lorena,"  he  said  softly, 
nodding  his  head.  "If  I  don't  act  on  your  hint, 
it  will  be  because  I  am  not  so  bright  as  you  give 
me  credit  for  being." 

Then  the  first  whisperer  took  up  the  story : 

"  Say,  girls,  I  heard  that  Ermina  did  really 
mean  to  invite  him  to  her  candy  pull,  and  the 


THE   NEW   ENTEEPBISE.  369 

Decker  girl  too ;  she  says  they  both  belong  to 
the  Sunday-school,  and  she  is  going  to  invite  all 
the  boys  and  girls  of  that  age  in  the  school,  and 
her  mother  thinks  it  would  not  be  nice  to  leave 
them  out.  You  know  the  Parleys  are  real 
queer  about  some  things." 

Lorena  Barstow  flamed  into  a  voice  which 
was  almost  loud.  "  Then  I  say  let's  just  not 
speak  a  word  to  either  of  them  the  whole  even- 
ing. Ermina  Farley  need  not  think  that  be- 
cause she  lives  in  a  grand  house,  and  her  father 
has  so  much  money,  she  can  rule  us  all.  I  for 
one,  don't  mean  to  associate  with  a  drunkard's 
daughter,  and  I  won't  be  niade  to,  by  the  Far- 
leys  or  anybody  else." 

"Her  father  isn't  a  drunkard  now.  Why, 
don't  you  know  he  has  joined  the  church  ?  And 
last  Wednesday  night  they  say  he  was  in  prayer 
meeting." 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  what  does  that  amount  to?  My 
father  says  it  won't  last  six  weeks;  he  says 
drunkards  are  not  to  be  trusted;  they  never 
reform.  And  what  if  he  does?  That  doesn't 
make  Nan  Decker  anything  but  a  dowdy,  not 
fit  for  us  girls  to  go  with ;  and  as  for  that  Irish 
boy  !  Why  doesn't  Ermina  go  down  on  Paddy 


370     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

Lane  and  invite  the  whole  tribe  of  Irish  if  she 
is  so  fond  of  them  ?  " 

"  Hush,  Lora,  Ermina  will  hear  you." 
Sure  enough  at  that  moment  came  Ermina, 
springing  briskly  over  logs  and  underbrush. 
"  Have  I  kept  you  waiting  ?  "  she  asked  gayly. 
"  The  moss  was  so  lovely  back  there ;  I  wanted 
to  carry  the  whole  of  it  home  to  mother.  Why, 
girls,  there  is  that  boy  who  sits  across  from  us 
in  Sabbath-school. 

"How  do  you  do?"  .she  said  pleasantly,  for 
at  that  moment  Jerry  turned  and  came  toward 
them,  lifting  his  hat  as  politely  as  though  it  was 
in  the  latest  shape  and  style. 

"  Have  you  had  good  luck  in  fishing  ?  " 
"  Very  good  for  this  side ;  the  fish  are  not  so 
plenty  here  generally  as  they  are  further  up. 
I  heard  you  speaking  of  fish,  Miss  Barstow, 
and  wondering  whether  I  would  not  supply 
your  people  ?  I  should  be  very  glad  to  do  so, 
occasionally  ;  I  am  a  pretty  successful  fellow  so 
far  as  fishing  goes." 

You  should  have  seen  the  cheeks  of  the  whis- 
perers then  !  Ermina  looked  at  them,  perplexed 
for  a  moment,  then  seeing  they  answered  only 
with  blushes  and  silence  she  spoke :  "  Mamma 


THE    NEW   ENTERPRISE.  371 

would  be  very  glad  to  get  some ;  she  was  say- 
ing yesterday  she  wished  she  knew  some  one  of 
whom  she  could  get  fish  as  soon  as  they  were 
caught.  Have  you  some  to-day  for  sale?" 

"Three  beauties  which  I  would  like  nothing 
better  than  to  sell,  for  I  am  in  special  need  of 
the  money  just  now." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Ermina  promptly,  "  I  am 
sure  mamma  will  like  them;  could  you  carry 
them  down  now  ?  I  am  on  my  way  home  and 
could  show  you  where  to  go." 

"  Ermina  Farley  ! "  remonstrated  Lorena  Bar- 
stow  in  a  low  shocked  tone,  but  Ermina  only 
said  :  "Good-by,  girls,  I  shall  expect  you  early 
on  Thursday  evening,"  and  walked  briskly  down 
the  path  toward  the  road,  with  Jerry  beside 
her,  swinging  his  fish.  If  the  girls  could  have 
seen  his  eyes  just  then,  they  would  have  been 
sure  that  they  twinkled. 

They  had  a  pleasant  walk,  and  Ermina  did 
actually  invite  him  to  her  candy-pull  on  Thurs- 
day evening  ;  not  only  that,  but  she  asked  if  he 
would  take  an  invitation  from  her  to  Nettie 
Decker.  "  She  lives  next  door  to  you,  I  think," 
said  Ermina,  "  I  would  like  very  much  to  have 
her  come ;  I  think  she  is  so  pleasant  and  unself- 


372"     LITTLE    FISHERS  .*     AND    THEIE    NETS. 

ish.  It  is  just  a  few  boys  and  girls  of  our  age, 
in  the  Sunday-school." 

How  glad  Jerry  was  that  she  had  invited 
them!  He  had  been  so  afraid  that  her  courage 
would  not  be  equal  to  it.  Glad  was  he  also  to 
be  able  to  say,  frankly,  that  both  he  and  Nettie 
had  an  engagement  for  Thursday  evening ;  he 
would  be  sure  to  give  Nettie  the  invitation,  but 
he  knew  she  could  not  come.  Of  course  she 
could  not,  he  said  to  himself;  "Isn't  that  our 
opening  evening?"  But  all  the  same  it  was 
very  nice  in  Ermina  Farley  to  have  invited 
them. 

"Here  is  another  lamp  for  the  table,"  said 
Jerry  gayly,  as  he  rushed  into  the  new  room  an 
hour  later  and  tossed  down  a  shining  silver 
dollar.  He  had  exchanged  the  fish  for  it. 
Then  he  sat  down  and  told  part  of  their  story 
to  Nettie.  About  the  whisperers,  however,  he 
kept  silent.  What  was  the  use  in  telling  that  ? 

But  from  them  he  had  gotten  another  idea. 
"Look  here,  Nettie,  some  evening  we'll  have  a 
candy-pull,  early,  with  just  a  few  to  help,  and 
sell  it  cheap  to  customers." 

So  now  they  stood  together  in  the  room  to 
see  if  there  was  another  thing  to  be  done  before 


THE   NEW   ENTEBPBISE.  373 

the  opening.  A  row  of  shelves  planed  and 
fitted  by  Norm  were  ranged  two  thirds  of  the 
way  up  the  room  and  on  them  were  displayed 
tempting  pans  of  ginger  cookies,  doughnuts, 
molasses  cookies,  and  soft  gingerbread.  Sand- 
wiches made  of  good  bread,  and  nice  slices  of 
ham,  were  shut  into  the  corner  cupboard  to 
keep  from  drying;  there  was  also  a  plate  of 
cheese  which  was  a  present  from  Mrs.  Smith. 
She  had  sent  it  in  with  the  explanation  that  it 
would  be  a  blessing  to  her  if  that  cheese  could 
get  eaten  by  somebody ;  she  bought  it  once,  a 
purpose,  as  a  treat  for  Job,  and  it  seemed  it 
wasn't  the  kind  he  liked,  and  none  of  the  rest 
of  them  liked  any  kind,  so  there  it  had  stood 
on  the  shelf  eying  her  for  days.  There  was  to 
be  coffee  ;  Nettie  had  planned  for  that.  "  Be- 
cause," she  explained,  "  they  aU  drink  beer ; 
and  things  to  eat,  can  never  take  the  place  of 
things  to  drink." 

It  had  been  a  difficult  matter  to  get  the 
materials  together  for  this  beginning.  All  the 
money  which  came  in  from  the  "little  old 
grandmothers,"  as  well  as  that  which  Jerry  con- 
tributed, had  been  spent  in  flour,  and  sugar, 
and  eggs  and  milk.  Nettie  was  amazed  and 


374      LITTLE   FISHEKS:    AND   THBIB  NETS. 

dismayed  to  find  how  much  even  soft  ginger- 
bread cost,  when  every  pan  of  it  had  to  be 
counted  in  money.  A  good  deal  of  arithmetic 
had  been  spent  on  the  question  :  How  low  can 
we  possibly  sell  this,  and  not  actually  lose 
money  by  it?  Of  course  some  allowance  had 
to  be  made  for  waste.  "  We'll  have  to  name  it 
waste,"  explained  Nettie  with  an  anxious  face, 
"  because  it  won't  bring  in  any  money ;  but  of 
course  not  a  scrap  of  it  will  be  wasted ;  but 
what  is  left  over  and  gets  too  dry  to  sell,  we 
ehall  have  to  eat." 

Jerry  shook  his  head.  "  We  must  sell  it,"  he 
said  with  the  air  of  a  financier.  Then  he  went 
away  thoughtfully  to  consult  Mrs.  Job,  and 
came  back  triumphant.  She  would  take  for  a 
week  at  half  price,  all  the  stale  cake  they  might 
have  left.  "That  means  gingercake,"  he  ex- 
plained, "  she  says  the  cookies  and  things  will 
keep  for  weeks,  without  getting  too  old." 

"  Sure  enough  ! "  said  radiant  Nettie,  "  I  did 
not  think  of  that." 

There  were  other  things  to  think  of;  some  of 
them  greatly  perplexed  Jerry  ;  he  had  to  catch 
many  fish  before  they  were  thought  out.  Then 
he  came  with  his  views  to  Nettie. 


THE   NEW   ENTERPRISE.  375 

i 

"See  here,  do  you  understand  about  this  firm 
business;  it  must  be  you  and  me,  you  know?" 

Nettie's  bright  face  clouded.  "  Why,  I 
thought,"  she  said,  speaking  slowly,  "  I  thought 
you  said,  or  you  meant  —  I  mean  I  thought  it 
was  to  help  Norm;  and  that  he  would  be  a 
partner." 

Jerry  shook  his  head.  "Can't  do  it,"  he 
said  decidedly.  "  Look  here,  Nettie,  we'll  get 
into  trouble  right  away  if  we  take  in  a  partner. 
He  believes  in  drinking  beer,  and  smoking 
cigarettes,  and  doing  things  of  that  sort ;  now 
if  he  as  a  partner  introduces  anything  of  the 
kind,  what  are  we  to  do?" 

"  Sure  enough  ! "  the  tone  expressed  convic- 
tion, but  not  relief.  "  Then  what  are  we  to  do, 
Jerry  ?  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  help 
Norm  any." 

"  I  do ;  quite  as  well  as  though  he  was  a  part- 
ner. Norm  is  a  good-natured  fellow ;  he  likes 
to  help  people.  I  think  he  likes  to  do  things 
for  others  better  than  for  himself.  If  we  explain 
to  him  that  we  want  to  go  into  this  business, 
and  that  you  can't  wait  on  customers,  because 
you  are  a  girl,  and  it  wouldn't  be  the  thing,  and 
I  can't,  because  it  is  in  your  house,  and  I  prom- 


376      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

ised  my  father  I  would  spend  my  evenings  at 
home,  and  write  a  piece  of  a  letter  to  him  every 
evening ;  and  ask  him  to  come  to  the  rescue 
and  keep  the  room  open,  and  sell  the  things  for 
us,  don't  you  believe  he  will  be  twice  as  likely 
to  do  it  as  though  we  made  him  as  young  as 
ourselves,  and  tried  to  be  his  equals  ?  " 

Then  Nettie's  face  was  bright.  "  What  a  con- 
triver you  are! "  she  said  admiringly.  "  I  think 
that  will  do  just  splendidly." 

She  was  right,  it  did.  Norm  might  have 
curled  his  lip  and  said  "  pooh  "  to  the  scheme, 
had  he  been  placed  on  an  equality ;  for  he  was 
getting  to  the  age  when  to  be  considered  young, 
or  childish,  is  a  crime  in  a  boy's  eyes.  But  to 
be  appealed  to  as  one  who  could  help  the 
"  young  fry  "  out  of  their  dilemma,  and  at  the 
same  time  provide  himself  with  a  very  pleasant 
place  to  stay,  and  very  congenial  employment 
while  he  stayed,  was  quite  to  Norm's  mind. 

And  as  it  was  an  affair  of  the  children's,  he 
made  no  suggestions  about  beer  or  cigars ;  it  is 
true  he  thought  of  them,  but  he  thought  at 
once  that  neither  Nettie  or  Jerry  would  proba- 
bly have  anything  to  do  with  them,  and  as  he 
had  no  dignity  to  sustain,  he  decided  to  not 


THB   NEW   ENTERPRISE.  377 

even  mention  the  matter.  These  two  planned 
really  better  than  they  knew  in  appealing  to 
Norm  for  help.  His  curious  pride  would  never 
have  allowed  him  to  say  to  a  boy,  "  We  keep 
cakes  and  coffee  for  sale  at  our  house ;  come  in 
and  try  them."  But  it  was  entirely  within  the 
line  of  his  ideas  of  respectability  to  say  :  "  What 
do  you  think  those  two  young  ones  over  at  our 
house  have  thought  up  next  ?  They  have  opened 
an  eating-house,  cakes  and  things  such  as  my 
sister  can  make,  and  coffee,  dirt  cheap.  I've 
promised  to  run  the  thing  for  them  in  the  even- 
ing awhile;  I  suppose  you'll  patronize  them?" 

And  the  boys,  who  would  have  sneered  at  hia 
setting  himself  up  in  business,  answered : 
"What,  the  little  chap  who  lives  at  Smith's?" 
And  your  little  sister !  Ho !  what  a  notion ! 
I  don't  know  but  it  is  a  bright  one,  though,  as 
sure  as  you  live.  There  isn't  a  spot  in  this 
town  where  a  fellow  can  get  a  decent  bite  un- 
less he  pays  his  week's  wages  for  it ;  boys,  let's 
go  around  and  see  what  the  little  chaps  are 
about." 

The  very  first  evening  was  a  success. 

Nettie  had  assured  herself  that  she  must  not 
be  disappointed  if  no  one  came,  at  first 


378     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

"  You  see,  it  is  a  new  thing,"  she  explained 
to  her  mother,  "  of  course  it  will  take  them  a 
little  while  to  get  acquainted  with  it ;  if  nobody 
at  all  comes  to-night,  I  shall  not  be  disappointed. 
Shall  you,  Jerry?" 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Jerry,  "  I  should ;  because  I 
know  of  one  boy  who  is  coming,  and  is  going 
to  have  a  ginger-snap  and  .a  glass  of  milk.  And 
that  is  little  Ted  Locker  who  lives  down  the 
lane;  they  about  starve  that  boy.  I  shall  like 
to  see  him  get  something  good.  He  has  three 
cents  and  I  assured  him  he  could  get  a  brim- 
ming glass  of  milk  and  a  ginger-snap  for  that. 
He  was  as  delighted  as  possible." 

"  Poor  fellow ! "  said  Nettie,  "  I  mean  to  tell 
Norm  to  let  him  have  two  snaps,  wouldn't 
you  ?  " 

And  Jerry  agreed,  not  stopping  to  explain 
that  he  had  furnished  the  three  cents  with  which 
Ted  was  to  treat  his  poor  little  stomach.  So 
the  work  began  in  benevolence. 

Still  Nettie  was  anxious,  not  to  say  nervous. 

"You  will  have  to  eat  soft  gingerbread  at 
your  house,  for  breakfast,  dinner  and  supper,  I 
am  afraid,"  she  said  to  Jerry  with  a  half  laugh, 
as  they  stood  looking  at  it.  "  I  don't  know  why 


THE    NEW    ENTERPRISE.  379 

I  made  four  tins  of  it ;  I  seemed  to  get  in  a 
gale  when  I  was  making  it." 

"Never  you  fear,"  said  Jerry,  cheerily.  "I'll 
be  willing  to  eat  such  gingerbread  as  that  three 
times  a  day  for  a  week.  Between  you  and  me," 
lowering  his  voice,  "  Sarah  Ann  can't  make  very 
good  gingerbread  ;  when  we  get  such  a  run  of 
custom  that  we  have  none  left  over  to  sell,  I 
wish  you'd  teach  her  how." 

I  do  not  know  that  any  member  of  the  two 
households  could  be  said  to  be  more  interested 
in  the  new  enterprise  than  Mr.  Decker.  He 
helped  set  up  the  shelves,  and  he  made  a  little 
corner  shelf  on  purpose  for  the  lamp,  and  he 
watched  the  entire  preparations  with  an  interest 
which  warmed  Nettie's  heart.  I  haven't  said 
anything  about  Mr.  Decker  during  these  days, 
because  I  found  it  hard  to  say.  You  are  ac- 
quainted with  him  as  a  .sour-faced,  unreasonable, 
beer-drinking  man  ;  when  suddenly  he  became 
a  man  who  said  "  Good  morning  "  when  he  came 
into  the  room,  and  who  sat  down  smooth  shaven, 
and  with  quiet  eyes  and  smile  to  his  breakfast, 
and  spoke  gently  to  Susie  when  she  tipped  her 
cup  of  water  over,  and  kissed  little  Sate  when 
he  lifted  her  to  her  seat,  and  waited  for  Mrs. 


380       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

Decker  to  bring  the  coffee  pot,  then  bowed  his 
head  and  in  clear  tones  asked  a  blessing  on  the 
food,  how  am  I  to  describe  him  to  you  ?  The 
change  was  something  which  even  Mrs.  Decker 
who  watched  him  every  minute  he  was  in  the 
house  and  thought  of  him  all  day  long,  could 
not  get  accustomed  to.  ^It  astonished  her  so 
to  think  that  she,  Mrs.  Decker,  lived  in  a  house 
where  there  was  a  prayer  made  every  night  and 

* 

morning,  and  where  each  evening  after  supper 
Nettie  read  a  few  verses  in  the  Bible,  and  her 
father  prayed  ;  that  every  time  she  passed  her 
own  mother's  Bible  which  had  been  brought  out 
of  its  hiding-place  in  an  old  trunk,  she  said, 
under  her  breath,  "Thank  the  Lord."  No,  she 
did  not  understand  it,  the  marvelous  change 
which  had  come  over  her  husband.  She  had 
known  him  as  a  kind  man ;  he  had  been  that 
when  she  married  him,  and  for  a  few  months 
afterwards. 

She  had  heard  him  speak  pleasantly  to  Norm, 
and  show  him  much  attention  ;  he  had  dond 
it  before  they  were  married,  and  for  awhile 
afterwards  ;  but  there  was  a  look  in  his  face, 
and  a  sound  in  his  voice  now,  such  as  she  had 
never  seen  nor  heard  before. 


THE    NEW   ENTERPRISE.  381 

"  It  isn't  Decker,"  she  said  in  a  burst  of  con- 
fidence to  Nettie.  "  He  is  just  as  good  as  he 
can  be ;  and  I  don't  know  anything  in  the  world 
he  ain't  willing  to  do  for  me,  or  for  any  of  us  ; 
and  it  is  beautiful,  the  whole  of  it ;  but  it  is  all 
new.  I  used  to  think  if  the  man  I  married 
could  only  come  back  to  me  I  should  be  per- 
fectly happy ;  but  I  don't  know  this  man  at  all; 
he  seems  to  me  sometimes  most  like  an  angel." 

Probably  you  would  have  laughed  at  this. 
Joe  Decker  did  not  look  in  the  least  like  the 
picture  you  have  in  your  mind  of  an  angel  • 
but  perhaps  if  you  had  known  him  only  a  few 
weeks  before,  as  Mrs.  Decker  did,  and  could 
have  seen  the  wonderful  change  in  him  which 
she  saw,  the  contrast  might  even  have  suggested 
angels. 

Nettie  understood  it.  She  struggled  with 
her  timidity  and  her  ignorance  of  just  what 
ought  to  be  said ;  then  she  made  her  earnest 
reply : 

"  Mother,  I'll  tell  you  the  difference.  Father 
prays,  and  when  people  pray,  you  know,  and 
mean  it,  as  he  does,  they  get  to  looking  very 
different." 

But  Mrs.  Decker  did  not  pray. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TOO    GOOD    TO   BE    TRUE. 

A  S  a  matter  of  fact  there  wasn't  a  cake 
-*-  left.  Neither  doughnut  nor  gingersnap ; 
hardly  a  crumb  to  tell  the  successful  tale. 
Nettie  surveyed  the  empty  shelves  the  next 
morning  in  astonishment.  She  had  been  too 
busy  the  night  before  to  realize  how  fast  things 
were  going.  Naturally  the  number  and  variety 
of  dishes  in  the  Decker  household  was  limited 
and  the  evening  to  Nettie  was  a  confused 
murmur  of,  "Hand  us  some  more  cups." 
"  Can't  you  raise  a  few  more  teaspoons  some- 
where ? "  "  Give  us  another  plate,"  or,  "  More 
doughnuts  needed  ; "  and  Nettie  flew  hither  and 
thither,  washed  cups,  rinsed  spoons,  said,  "  What 
did  I  do  with  that  towel?"  or,  "Where  in  the 
world  is  the  bread  knife  ? "  or,  "  Oh !  I  smell 
the  coffee !  maybe  it  is  boiling  over,"  and  was 
conscious  of  nothing  but  weariness  and  relief 
382 


TOO    GOOD    TO    BE    TBUE.  383 

when  the  last  cup  of  coffee  was  drank,  and  the 
last  teaspoon  washed. 

But  with  the  next  morning's  sunshine  she 
knew  the  opening  was  a  success.  She  counted 
the  gains  with  eager  joy,  assuring  Jerry  that 
they  could  have  twice  as  much  gingerbread  next 
time. 

"  And  you'll  need  it,"  said  Norm.  "  I  had  to 
tell  half  a  dozen  boys  that  there  wasn't  a  crumb 
left.  I  felt  sorry  for  'em,  too ;  they  were  board- 
ing-house fellows  who  never  get  anything  decent 
to  eat." 

Already  Norm  had  apparently  forgotten  that 
he  was  one  who  used  frequently  to  make  a  simi- 
lar complaint. 

There  was  a  rarely  sweet  smile  on  Nettie's 
face,  not  born  of  the  chink  in  the  factory  bag 
which  she  had  made  for  the  money ;  it  grew 
from  the  thought  that  she  need  not  hide  the  bag 
now,  and  tremble  lest  it  should  be  taken  to  the 
saloon  to  pay  for  whiskey.  What  a  little  time 
ago  it  was  that  she  had  feared  that !  What  a 
changed  world  it  was  ! 

"But  there  won't  be  such  a  crowd  again," 
she  said  as  they  were  putting  the  room  in  order, 
u  that  was  the  first  night." 


384      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

"Humph!"  said  that  wise  woman  Susie  with 
a  significant  toss  of  her  head  ;  "  last  night  you 
said  we  mustn't  expect  anybody  because  it  was 
the  first  night." 

Then  "the  firm"  had  a  hearty  laugh  at  Net- 
tie's expense  and  set  to  work  preparing  for  even- 
ing. 

I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  the  story  of  that 
summer  and  fall.  It  was  beautiful ;  as  any  of 
the  Deckers  will  tell  you  with  eager  eyes  and 
voluble  voice  if  you  call  on  them,  and  start  the 
subject. 

The  business  grew  and  grew,  and  exceeded 
their  most  sanguine  expectations.  Mr.  Decker 
interested  himself  in  it  most  heartily,  and 
brought  often  an  old  acquaintance  to  get  a  cup 
of  coffee.  "  Make  it  good  and  strong,"  he 
would  say  to  Nettie  in  an  earnest  whisper. 
"He's  thirsty,  and  I  brought  him  here  instead 
of  going  for  beer.  I  wish  the  room  was  larger, 
and  I'd  get  others  to  come." 

In  time,  and  indeed  in  a  very  short  space  of 
time,  this  grew  to  be  the  crying  need  of  the 
firm :  "  If  we  only  had  more  room,  and  more 
dishes!  "  There  was  a  certain  long,  low  building 
which  had  once  been  used  as  a  boarding-house 


TOO    GOOD    TO    BE    TRUE.  385 

for  the  factory  hands,  before  that  institution 
grew  large  and  moved  into  new  quarters,  and 
which  was  not  now  in  use.  At  this  building 
Jerry  and  Nettie,  and  for  that  matter,  Norm, 
looked  with  longing  eyes.  They  named  it "  Our 
Rooms,"  and  hardly  ever  passed  that  they  did 
not  suggest  some  improvement  in  it  which  could 
be  easily  made,  and  which  would  make  it  just 
the  thing  for  their  business.  They  knew  just 
what  sort  of  curtains  they  would  have  at  the 
the  windows,  just  what  furnishings  in  front  and 
back  rooms,  just  how  many  lamps  would  be 
needed.  "  We  will  have  a  hanging  lamp  over 
the  centre  table,"  said  Jerry.  "  One  of  those 
new-fashioned  things  which  shine  and  give  a 
bright  light,  almost  like  gas ;  and  lots  of  books 
and  papers  for  the  boys  to  read." 

"But  where  would  we  get  the  books  and 
papers?"  would  Nettie  say,  with  an  anxious 
business  face,  as  though  the  room,  and  the 
table,  and  the  hanging  lamp,  were  arranged  for, 
and  the  last-mentioned  articles  all  that  were' 
needed  to  complete  the  list. 

"  Oh !  they  would  gather,  little  by  little.  I 
know  some  people  who  would  donate  great 
piles  of  them  if  we  had  a  place  to  put  them. 


386      LITTLE    FISHEES  .'     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

For  that  matter,  as  it  is,  father  is  going  to  send 
us  some  picture-papers,  a  great  bundle  of  them ; 
send  them  by  express,  and  we  must  have  a  table 
to  put  them  on." 

So  the  plans  grew,  but  constantly  they  looked 
at  the  long,  low  building  and  said  what  a  nice 
place  it  would  be. 

One  morning  Jerry  came  across  the  yard  with 
a  grave  face.  "What  do  you  think?"  he  said, 
the  moment  he  caught  sight  of  Nettie.  "  They 
have  gone  and  rented  our  rooms  for  a  horrid 
old  saloon ;  whiskey  in  front,  and  gambling  in 
the  back  part !  Isn't  it  a  shame  that  they  have 
got  ahead  of  us  in  that  kind  of  way  ?  " 

"  Oh  dear  me  !  "  said  Nettie,  drawing  out  each 
•word  to  twice  its  usual  length,  and  sitting  down 
on  a  corner  of  the  woodbox  with  hands  clasped 
over  the  dish  towel,  and  for  the  moment  a  look 
on  her  face  as  though  all  was  lost. 

But  it  was  the  very  same  day  that  Jerry 
appeared  again,  his  face  beaming.  This  time  it 
was  hard  to  make  Nettie  hear,  for  Mrs.  Decker 
was  washing,  and  mingling  with  the  rapid  rub- 
a-dub  of  the  clothes  was  the  sizzle  of  ham  in 
the  spider,  and  the  bubble  of  a  kettle  which 
was  bent  on  boiling  over,  and  making  the  half- 


TOO   GOO1>   TO   BE    TRUE.  387 

distracted  housekeeper  all  the  trouble  it  could. 
Yet  his  news  was  too  good  to  keep;  and  he 
shouted  above  the  din :  "  I  say,  Nettie,  the  man 
has  backed  out!  Our  rooms  are  not  rented, 
after  all." 

"  Goody!  "  said  Nettie,  and  she  smiled  on  the 
kettle  in  a  way  to  make  it  think  she  did  not 
care  if  everything  in  it  boiled  over  on  the  floor ; 
whereupon  it  calmed  down,  of  course,  and  be- 
haved itself. 

So  the  weeks  passed,  and  the  enterprise  grew 
and  flourished.  I  hope  you  remember  Mrs. 
Speckle  ?  Very  early  in  the  autumn  she  sent 
every  one  of  her  chicks  out  into  the  world  to 
toil  for  themselves  and  began  business.  Each 
morning  a  good-sized,  yellow-tinted,  warm,  beau- 
tiful egg  lay  in  the  nest  waiting  for  Jerry ;  and 
when  he  came,  Mrs.  Speckle  cackled  the  news 
to  him  in  the  most  interested  way. 

"  She  couldn't  do  better  if  she  were  a  regu- 
larly constituted  member  of  the  firm  with  a 
share  in  the  profits,"  said  Jerry. 

The  egg  was  daily  carried  to  Mrs.  Farley's, 
where  there  was  an  invalid  daughter,  who  had 
a  fancy  for  that  warm,  plump  egg  which  came 
to  her  each  morning,  done  up  daintily  in  pink 


388       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

cotton,  and  laid  in  a  box  just  large  enough  for 
it.  But  there  came  a  morning  which  was  a 
proud  one  to  Nettie.  Jerry  had  returned  from 
Mrs.  Farley's  with  news.  "  The  sick  daughter 
is  going  South;  she  has  an  auntie  who  is  to 
spend  the  winter  in  Florida,  so  they  have  de- 
cided to  send  her.  They  start  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. Mrs.  Farley  said  they  would  take  our 
eggs  all  the  same,  and  she  wished  Miss  Helen 
could  have  them ;  but  somebody  else  would 
have  to  eat  them  for  her." 

Then  Nettie,  beaming  with  pleasure,  "  Jerry, 
I  wish  you  would  tell  Mrs.  Farley  that  we  can't 
spare  them  any  more  at  present ;  I  would  have 
told  you  before,  but  I  didn't  want  to  take  the 
egg  from  Miss  Helen ;  I  want  to  buy  them 
now,  every  other  morning,  for  mother  and 
father ;  mother  thinks  there  is  nothing  nicer 
than  a  fresh  egg,  and  I  know  father  will  be 
pleased." 

What  satisfaction  was  in  Nettie's  voice, 
what  joy  in  her  heart !  Oh  !  they  were  poor, 
very  poor,  "  miserably  poor  "  Lorena  Barstow 
called  them,  but  they  had  already  reached  the 
point  where  Nettie  felt  justified  in  planning  for 
a  fresh  egg  apiece  for  father  and  mother,  and 


TOO   GOOD    TO   BE    TRUE.  389 

knew  that  it  could  be  paid  for.  So  Mrs.  Speckle 
began  from  that  day  to  keep  the  results  of  her 
industry  in  the  home  circle,  and  grew  more 
important  because  of  that. 

Almost  every  day  now  brought  surprises.  One 
of  the  largest  of  them  was  connected  with  Susie 
Decker.  That  young  woman  from  the  very  first 
had  shown  a  commendable  interest  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  business.  She  patiently  did 
errands  for  it,  in  all  sorts  of  weather,  and  was 
always  ready  to  dust  shelves,  arrange  cookies 
without  eating  so  much  as  a  bite,  and  even  wipe 
teaspoons,  a  task  which  she  used  to  think  be- 
neath her.  "  If  you  can't  trust  me  with  things 
that  would  smash,"  she  used  to  say  with  scorn- 
ful gravity,  to  Nettie,  "  then  you  can't  expect 
me  to  be  willing  to  wipe  those  tough  spoons." 

But  in  these  days,  spoons  were  taken  uncom- 
plainingly. Susie  had  a  business  head,  and  was 
already  learning  to  count  pennies  and  add  them 
to  the  five  and  ten  cent  pieces;  and  when  Jerry 
said  approvingly :  "  One  of  these  days,  she  will 
be  our  treasurer,"  the  faintest  shadow  of  a 
blush  would  appear  on  Susie's  face,  but  she 
always  went  on  counting  gravely,  with  an  air 
of  one  who  had  not  heard  a  word. 


390      LITTLE   FISHEKS:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

On  a  certain  stormy,  windy  day,  one  of 
November's  worst,  it  was  discovered  late  in  the 
afternoon  that  the  molasses  jug  was  empty,  and 
the  boys  had  been  promised  some  molasses  candy 
that  very  evening. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  asked  Nettie,  looking 
perplexed,  and  standing  jug  in  hand  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  room.  "Jerry  won't  be  home  in 
time  to  get  it,  and  I  can't  leave  those  cakes  to 
bake  themselves;  mother,  you  don't  think  you 
could  see  to  them  a  little  while  till  I  run  to  the 
grocery,  do  you?" 

Mrs.  Decker  shook  her  head,  but  spoke  sympa- 
thetically :  "  I'd  do  it  in  a  minute,  child,  or  I'd 
go  for  the  molasses,  but  these  shirts  are  very 
particular;  I  never  had  such  fine  ones  to  iron 
before,  and  the  irons  are  just  right,  and  if  I 
should  have  to  leave  the  bosoms  at  the  wrong 
minute  to  look  at  the  cakes,  why,  it  would  spoil 
the  bosoms;  and  on  the  other  hand,  if  I  left 
the  cakes  and  saved  the  bosoms,  why,  they  would 
be  spoiled." 

This  seemed  logical  reasoning.  Susie,  perched 
on  a  high  chair  in  front  of  the  table,  was  count- 
ing a  large  pile  of  pennies,  putting  them  in 
heaps  of  twenty-five  cents  each.  She  waited 


TOO   GOOD   TO    BE    TKUE.  391 

until  her  fourth  heap  was  complete,  then  looked 
up.     "  Why  don't  you  ask  me  to  go? " 

"  Sure  enough  ! "  said  Nettie,  laughing,  "  I'd 
*  ask '  you  in  a  minute  if  it  didn't  rain  so  hard ; 
but  it  seems  a  pretty  stormy  day  to  send  out  a 
little  chicken  like  you." 

"  I'm  not  a  chicken,  and  I'm  not  the  least- 
est  bit  afraid  of  rain ;  I  can  go  as  well  as  not  if 
you  only  think  so." 

"  I  don't  believe  it  will  hurt  her ! "  said  Mrs. 
Decker,  glancing  doubtfully  out  at  the  sullen 
sky.  "It  doesn't  rain  so  hard  as  it  did,  and  she 
has  such  a  nice  thick  sack  now." 

It  was  nice,  made  of  heavy  waterproof  cloth, 
with  a  lovely  woolly  trimming  going  all  around 
it.  Susie  liked  that  sack  almost  better  than 
anything  else  in  the  world.  Her  mother  had 
bought  it  second-hand  of  a  woman  whose  little 
girl  had  outgrown  it;  the  mother  had  washed 
all  day  and  ironed  another  day  to  pay  for  it,  and 
felt  the  liveliest  delight  in  seeing  Susie  in  the 
pretty  garment. 

The  rain  seemed  to  be  quieting  a  little,  so 
presently  the  young  woman  was  robed  in  sack 
and  waterproof  bonnet  with  a  cape,  and  started 
on  her  way. 


392      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

Half-way  to  the  grocery  she  met  Jerry  has- 
tening home  from  school  with  a  bag  of  books 
slung  across  his  shoulder. 

"  Is  it  so  late  as  that  ?  "  asked  Susie  in  dis- 
may. "Nettie  thought  you  wouldn't  be  at 
home  in  a  good  while;  the  candy  won't  get 
done." 

"  No,  it  is  as  early  as  this,"  he  answered  laugh- 
ing ;  "  we  were  dismissed  an  hour  earlier  than 
usual  this  afternoon.  Where  are  you  going? 
after  molasses  ?  See  here,  suppose  you  give  me 
the  jug  and  you  take  my  books  and  scud  home. 
There  is  a  big  storm  coming  on ;  I  think  the 
wind  is  going  to  blow,  and  I'm  afraid  it  will 
twist  you  all  up  and  pour  the  molasses  over 
you.  Then  you'd  be  ever  so  sticky  ! " 

Susie  laughed  and  exchanged  not  unwillingly 
the  heavy  jug  for  the  books.  There  had  been 
quite  wind  enough  since  she  started,  and  if 
there  was  to  be  more,  she  had  no  mind  to  brave 
it. 

"  If  you  hurry,"  called  Jerry,  "  I  think  you'll 
get  home  before  the  next  squall  comes."  So 
she  hurried ;  but  Jerry  was  mistaken.  The 
squall  came  with  all  its  force,  and  poor  small 
Susie  was  twisted  and  whirled  and  lost  her 


TOO   GOOD   TO   BE   TRUE.  893 

breath  almost,  and  panted  and  struggled  on,  and 
was  only  too  thankful  that  she  hadn't  the  molas- 
ses jug. 

Nearly  opposite  the  Farley  home,  their  side 
door  suddenly  opened  and  a  pleasant  voice 
called :  "  Little  girl,  come  in  here,  and  wait 
until  the  shower  is  over ;  you  will  be  wet  to  the 
skin." 

It  is  true  Susie  did  not  believe  that  her  water- 
proof sack  could  be  wet  through,  but  that 
dreadful  wind  so  frightened  her,  twisting  the 
trees  as  it  did,  that  she  was  glad  to  obey  the 
kind  voice  and  rush  into  shelter. 

"  Why,  it  is  Nettie's  sister,  I  do  believe ! " 
said  Ermina  Farley,  helping  her  off  with  the 
dripping  hood. 

"  You  dear  little  mouse,  what  sent  you  out  in 
such  a  storm  ?  " 

Miss  Susie  not  liking  the  idea  of  being  a 
mouse  much  more  than  she  did  being  a  chicken, 
answered  with  dignity,  and  becoming  brevity. 

"Molasses  candy!"  said  Mrs.  Farley,  laugh- 
ing,' yet  with  an  undertone  of  disapproval  in 
her  voice  which  keen-minded  Susie  heard  and 
felt,  "  I  shouldn't  think  that  was  a  necessity  of 
life  on  such  a  day  as  this." 


394      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR   KETS. 

"  It  is  if  you  have  promised  it  to  some  boys 
who  don't  ever  have  anything  nice  only  what 
they  get  at  our  house ;  and  who  save  their  pen- 
nies that  they  spend  on  beer,  and  cider,  and 
cigars  to  get  it." 

Wise  Susie,  indignation  in  every  word,  yet 
well  controlled,  and  aware  before  she  finished 
her  sentence  that  she  was  deeply  interesting  her 
audience!  How  they  questioned  her?  What 
was  this  ?  Who  did  it  ?  Who  thought  of  it  ? 
When  did  they  begin  it?  Who  came?  How 
did  they  get  the  money  to  buy  their  things? 
Susie,  thoroughly  posted,  thoroughly  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  entire  movement,  calm,  collected, 
keen  far  beyond  her  years,  answered  clearly 
and  well.  Plainly  she  saw  that  this  lady  in  a 
silken  gown  was  interested. 

"Well,  if  this  isn't  a  revelation!"  said  Mrs. 
Farley  at  last.  "A  young  men's  Christian 
association  not  only,  but  an  eating-house  flour- 
ishing right  in  our  midst  and  we  knowing  noth- 
ing about  it.  Did  you  know  anything  of  it, 
daughter  ?  " 

"No,  ma'am,"  said  Ermina.  "But  I  knew 
that  splendid  Nettie  was  trying  to  do  something 
for  her  brother ;  and  that  nice  boy  who  used  to 


TOO   GOOD   TO   BE   TBtTE.  895 

bring  eggs  was  helping  her ;  it  is  just  like  them 
both.  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  nicer  girl  in 
town  than  Nettie  Decker." 

Mrs.  Farley  seemed  unable  to  give  up  the 
subject.  She  asked  many  questions  as  to  how 
long  the  boys  stayed,  and  what  they  did  all  the 
time. 

Susie  explained :  "  Well,  they  eat,  you  know ; 
and  Norm  doesn't  hurry  them ;  he  says  they 
have  to  pitch  the  things  down  fast  where  they 
board,  to  keep  them  from  freezing ;  and  our 
room  is  warm,  because  we  keep  the  kitchen 
door  open,  and  the  heat  goes  in ;  but  we  don't 
know  what  we  shall  do  when  the  weather  gets 
real  cold ;  and  after  they  have  eaten  all  the 
things  they  can  pay  for,  they  look  at  the  pict- 
ures. Jerry's  father  sends  him  picture  papers, 
and  Mr.  Sherrill  brings  some,  most  every  day. 
Miss  Sherrill  is  coming  Thanksgiving  night  to 
sing  for  them ;  and  Nettie  says  if  we  only  had 
an  organ  she  would  play  beautiful  music.  We 
want  to  give  them  a  treat  for  Thanksgiving; 
we  mean  to  do  it  without  any  pay  at  all  if  we 
can  ;  and  father  thinks  we  can,  because  he  is 
working  nights  this  week,  and  getting  extra 
pay ;  and  Jerry  thinks  there  will  be  two  chick- 


396      LITTLE    FISHERS  !     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

ens  ready ;  and  Nettie  wishes  we  could  have  an 
organ  for  a  little  while,  just  for  Norm,  because 
he  loves  music  so,  but  of  course  we  can't." 

Long  before  this  sentence  was  finished, 
Ermina  and  her  mother  had  exchanged  glances 
which  Susie,  being  intent  on  her  story,  did  not 
see. 

She  was  a  wise  little  woman  of  business ; 
what  if  Mrs.  Farley  should  say :  "  Well,  I  will 
give  you  a  chicken  myself  for  the  Thanksgiving 
time,  and  a  whole  peck  of  apples!"  then  in- 
deed, Susie  believed  that  their  joy  would  be 
complete ;  for  Nettie  had  said,  if  they  could 
only  afford  three  chickens  she  believed  that 
with  a  lot  of  crust  she  could  make  chicken  pie 
enough  for  them  each  to  have  a  large  piece,  hot ; 
not  all  the  boys,  of  course,  but  the  seven  or 
eight  who  worked  in  Norm's  shop  and  boarded 
at  the  dreary  boarding-house;  they  would  so 
like  to  give  Norm  a  surprise  for  his  birthday, 
and  have  a  treat  say  at  six  o'clock  for  all  of 
these ;  for  this  year  Thanksgiving  fell  on  Norm's 
birthday.  The  storm  held  up  after  a  little,  and 
Susie,  trudging  home,  a  trifle  disgusted  with 
Mrs.  Farley  because  she  said  not  a  word  about 
the  peck  of  apples  or  the  other  chicken,  was  met 


TOO   GOOD   TO    BE    TRUE.  397 

by  Jerry  coming  in  search  of  her.  The  molassea 
was  boiling  over,  he  told  her,  and  so  was  her 
mother,  with  anxiety  lest  the  wind  had  taken 
her,  Susie,  up  in  a  tree,  and  had  forgotten  to 
bring  her  down  again.  He  hurried  her  home 
between  the  squalls,  and  Susie  quietly  resolved 
to  say  not  a  word  about  all  the  things  she  had 
told  at  the  Farley  home.  What  if  Nettie  should 
think  she  hadn't  been  womanly  to  talk  so  much 
about  what  they  were  doing !  If  there  was  one 
thing  that  this  young  woman  had  a  horror  of 
during  these  days,  it  was  that  Nettie  would 
think  she  was  not  womanly.  The  desire,  nay, 
the  determination  to  be  so,  at  all  costs  had  well 
nigh  cured  her  of  her  fits  of  rage  and  scream- 
ing, because  in  one  of  her  calm  moments  Nettie 
had  pointed  out  to  her  the  fact  that  she  never 
in  her  life  heard  a  woman  scream  like  that. 
Susie  being  a  logical  person,  argued  the  rest  of 
the  matter  out  for  herself,  and  resolved  to 
scream  and  stamp  her  foot  no  more. 

Great  was  the  astonishment  of  the  Decker 
family,  next  morning.  Mrs.  Farley  herself  came 
to  call  on  them.  She  wanted  some  plain  iron- 
ing done  that  afternoon.  Yes,  Mrs.  Decker 
would  do  it  and  be  glad  to ;  it  was  a  leisure 


398      LITTLE   FISHBKS:    AND    THEIR  NETS. 

afternoon  with  her.  Mrs.  Farley  wanted  some- 
thing more !  she  wanted  to  know  about  the 
business  in  which  Nettie  and  her  young  friend 
next  door  were  engaged ;  and  Susie  listened 
breathlessly,  for  fear  it  would  appear  that  she 
had  told  more  than  she  ought.  But  Mrs.  Far- 
ley kept  her  own  counsel,  only  questioning  Net- 
tie closely,  and  at  last  she  made  a  proposition 
that  had  well  nigh  been  the  ruin  of  the  tin  of 
cookies  which  Nettie  was  taking  from  the  oven. 
She  dropped  the  tin ! 

"Did  you  burn  you,  child?"  asked  Mrs. 
Decker,  rushing  forward. 

"  No,  ma'am,"  said  Nettie,  laughing,  and  try- 
ing not  to  laugh,  and  wanting  to  cry,  and  being 
too  amazed  to  do  so.  "  But  I  was  so  surprised 
and  so  almost  scared,  that  they  dropped. 

"  O  Mrs.  Farley,  we  have  wanted  that  more 
than  anything  else  in  the  world  ;  ever  since 
Mr.  Sherrill  saw  how  my  brother  Norman 
loved  music,  and  said  it  might  be  the  saving  of 
him ;  Jerry  and  I  have  planned  and  planned, 
but  we  never  thought  of  being  able  to  do  it  for 
a  long,  long  time." 

Yet  all  this  joy  was  over  an  old,  somewhat 
wheezy  little  house  organ  which  stood  in  the 


TOO   GOOD    TO   BE    TRUE.  399 

second-story  unused  room  of  Mrs.  Farley's 
house,  and  which  she  had  threatened  to  send 
to  the  city  auction  rooms  to  get  out  of  the 
way. 

She  offered  to  lend  it  to  Nettie  for  her 
"  Rooms,"  and  Nettie's  gratitude  was  so  great 
that  the  blood  seemed  inclined  to  leave  her 
face  entirely  for  a  minute,  then  thought  better 
of  it  and  rolled  over  it  in  waves. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 


THE    CROWNING   WONDEB. 


A 


NT)  they  did  have  the  Thanksgiving  sup- 


per! 


It  seemed  wonderful  to  Nettie,  even  then, 
and  long  afterwards  the  wonder  grew,  that 
so  many  things  occurred  about  that  time  to 
help  the  scheme  along.  At  first  it  was  to  be 
a  very  simple  little  affair;  two  of  the  boys, 
Rick  for  instance,  and  Alf,  invited  to  come  in 
an  hour  or  so  before  the  room  was  open  for 
the  evening,  and  have  a  little  supper  by  them- 
selves—  a  chicken,  and  possibly  some  cran- 
berry sauce  if  she  could  compass  it,  though 
cranberries  were  very  expensive  at  that  season, 
and  besides,  they  ate  sugar  in  a  way  which  was 
perfectly  alarming !  A  pie  of  some  sort  she  had 
quite  set  her  heart  on,  but  whether  it  would  be 
pumpkin  or  not,  depended  on  how  they  succeeded 
in  saving  up  for  extra  milk.  The  circumstances 
400 


THE    CROWNING    WONDER.  401 

of  the  Deckers  were  changing  steadily,  but  when 
a  man  has  tumbled  to  the  foot  of  a  hill,  and 
lain  there  quite  awhile,  it  is  generally  a  slow 
process  to  get  up  and  climb  back  to  where  he 
was  before. 

Mr.  Decker's  wages  were  good,  and  in  time 
he  expected  to  be  able  to  support  his  family  in 
at  least  ordinary  comfort;  but  when  he  came 
fully  to  his  senses,  he  stood  for  awhile  appalled 
before  the  number  of  things  which  had  been 
sold  to  pay  his  bill  at  the  saloon,  and  the  num- 
ber of  things  which  in  the  meantime  had  worn 
out,  and  not  been  replaced  by  new  ones ;  then 
the  rent  was  two  months  back,  and  Job  Smith 
had  been  all  that  stood  between  him  and  a  home. 
There  was  a  great  deal  to  do  if  the  Deckers 
were  to  get  back  to  the  place  from  which  they 
began  to  roll  down  hill ;  so  extra  expenses  for 
cranberries,  or  even  milk,  were  not  to  be  thought 
of,  if  they  must  be  drawn  from  the  family  funds. 

The  business  of  the  firm  was  flourishing ;  but 
you  must  remember  that  the  central  feature  of 
the  enterprise  was  to  keep  prices  very  low,  lower 
than  beer  and  bad  cigars,  and  the  enterprise  of 
the  dealers  in  these  things  is  so  great,  that  if 
you  are  willing  to  put  up  with  the  meanest  sorts 


402      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

you  can  always  get  them  very  low  indeed.  To 
compete  with  them,  Jerry  and  Nettie  had  to 
study  the  most  rigid  economy  to  keep  their 
shelves  supplied,  and  even  to  sometimes  "  shut 
their  eyes  and  make  a  reckless  dash  at  apples  or 
peanuts,  regardless  of  expense."  This  was  the 
way  in  which  Jerry  occasionally  apologized  for 
an  extra  quantity  of  these  luxuries. 

Still,  in  the  most  interesting  ways  the  Thanks- 
giving supper  grew.  Mrs.  Decker  secured  with- 
in a  week  of  the  time,  an  unexpected  ironing 
which  she  could  do  in  two  evenings,  and  she 
it  was  who  proposed  the  wild  scheme  of  having 
two  chickens  and  having  them  hot,  and  stuffing 
them  with  bread  crumbs  as  she  used  to  do  years 
ago,  and  having  gravy  and  some  baked  potatoes. 
She  agreed  to  furnish  the  extra  potatoes,  and  a 
few  turnips,  just  to  make  it  feel  like  Thanksgiv- 
ing. Nettie  was  astonished,  but  pleased.  It 
would  be  more  work,  but  what  of  that  ?  Think 
of  being  able  to  make  a  real  supper  for  Norm's 
birthday!  Then  Mrs.  Smith  at  just  the  right 
moment  had  a  present  of  two  pumpkins  from 
her  country  friends  ;  a«  they  could  never  make 
away  with  two  pumpkins  before  they  would 
spoil,  of  course  the  Deckers  must  take  part  of 


THE    CROWNING    WONDEE.  403 

one,  at  least.  About  that  time  the  minister 
bought  a  cow,  and  what  did  he  do  but  come 
himself  one  night  to  know  if  Mrs.  Decker  had 
any  use  for  skimmed  milk  ;  they  were  very  fond 
of  cream  at  their  house,  and  skimmed  milk  gath- 
ered faster  than  they  knew  what  to  do  witli  it. 

"  Any  use  for  skim  milk ! "  Mrs.  Decker 
could  only  repeat  the  words  in  a  kind  of  ecstasy 
at  her  good  luck,  and  she  almost  wondered  that 
the  yellow  pumpkin  standing  behind  the  door 
in  the  closet  did  not  laugh  outright. 

But  the  crowning  wonder  came,  after  all,  on 
the  morning  before  the  eventful  day.  Jake,  the 
Parleys'  man  of  all  work,  brought  it  in  a  basket 
which  was  large  and  closely  covered,  and  very 
heavy  looking.  It  was  left  at  the  door  with 
Susie,  who  went  to  answer  the  knock,  "  For 
Miss  Nettie."  Susie  repeated  the  name  with  a 
lingering  tone  as  though  she  liked  the  sound 
of  the  unusual  prefix.  Then  they  gathered 
about  the  basket.  A  great  solemn-looking  tur- 
key with  a  note  in  his  mouth,  which  said  :  "  A 
Thanksgiving  token  for  Nettie,  from  her  friend 
ERMIKA  FARLEY." 

A  turkey  in  the  Decker  oven  !  Mr.  Decker 
surveyed  the  great  fellow  in  silence  for  a  few 


404       LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

minutes,  then  said  impressively,  "If  we  don't 
have  a  new  cook  stove  before  another  Thanks- 
giving day  comes  around,  my  name  is  not 
Decker." 

Mrs.  Job  Smith  left  her  pies  half-made,  and 
ran  in,  in  a  friendly  way,  to  see  the  wonder ; 
and  at  once  remarked  that  he  would  exactly  fit 
into  their  oven,  and  she  wasn't  going  to  cook 
their  turkey  till  the  day  afterwards,  because 
they  had  got  to  go  to  Job's  uncle's  for  Thanks- 
giving ;  so  that  matter  was  settled.  It  was 
then  that  the  Deckers  decided  to  make  a  reck- 
less plunge  into  society  and  invite  every  boy  in 
Norm's  shop^to  a  three  o'clock  dinner,  with  tur- 
key and  cranberry  sauce  and  pumpkin  pie  and 
turnip,  and  all  the  rest. 

What  a  day  it  was !  They  grew  nearly  wild 
in  their  efforts  to  keep  all  the  secrets  from 
Norm,  and  act  as  though  nothing  unusual  was 

i  O  O 

happening.  Especially  was  this  the  case  after 
the  morning  express  brought  a  package  for  Net- 
tie from  her  dear  old  home,  with  two  mince 
pies,  and  a  box  of  Auntie  Marshall's  doughnuts, 
and  a  bag  of  nuts,  and  as  much  as  two  pounds 
of  the  loveliest  candy  she  ever  saw  ;  sent  by  the 
young  man  of  the  home  who  was  clerk  in  a  whole- 


THE    CROWNING    WONDEB.  405 

sale  confectioner's.  It  took  Mrs.  Decker  and 
Kettle  not  five  minutes  to  resolve,  looking  curi- 
ously into  each  other's  faces  the  while  to  see  if 
they  really  had  become  insane,  that  they  would 
have  a  regular  dessert  following  the  dinner ! 

"  It  is  only  once  a  year,"  said  Nettie  apolo- 
getically. 

"It  is  only  once  in  five  years!"  said  Mrs. 
Decker  solemnly.  "  I  haven't  had  a  Thanks- 
giving in  five  years,  child  ;  and  I  never  expected 
to  have  another." 

Everybody  was  busy  all  day  long.  Mrs. 
Smith  was  in  and  out,  helping  as  faithfully  as 
though  Norm  was  her  boy,  and  Sarah  Ann  just 
gave  herself  up  to  the  importance  of  the  occasion, 
and  did  not  go  to  her  uncle's  at  all.  "  I  can  go 
there  any  time,"  she  said  good  naturedly,  "or 
no  time;  they  always  forget  that  we  are  alive  till 
Thanksgiving  Day,  and  then  they  ask  us  because 
they  kind  of  think  they've  got  to.  Uncle  Jed  is 
a  clerk,  and  his  wife  makes  dresses  for  the  folks 
on  Belmont  street,  and  they  feel  stuck  up  four 
feet  above  us ;  I'd  rather  eat  cold  pork  and  pota- 
toes at  home  than  to  go  there  any  day.  I'm 
dreadful  glad  of  an  excuse  that  father  thinks  is 
worth  giving." 


406    LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

Susie  was  a  young  woman  of  importance  that 
day.  Nettie,  who  had  discovered  exactly  how 
to  manage  her,  gave  her  work  to  do  which  suited 
her  ideas  of  what  a  grown  person  like  herself 
ought  to  be  about;  and  when  she  wanted  the 
table  cleared  from  the  picture  papers  of  the 
night  before,  instead  of  telling  Miss  Susie  to  fold 
them  away,  said,  "  What  do  you  think,  Susie, 
would  it  be  best  for  us  to  fold  these  papers  away 
in  the  closet  for  to-day,  and  have  this  table  left 
clear  for  the  nuts  and  the  candies? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Susie,  with  her  grown-up  air,  "  I 
think  it  would  ;  I'll  attend  to  it."  And  she  did 
it  beautifully. 

"It  is  well  we  have  no  little  bits  of  folks 
around,"  said  Nettie,  when  the  nuts  were  being 
cracked,  "  they  would  be  tempted  to  eat  some, 
and  then  I'm  afraid  we  would  not  have  enough 
to  go  around."  And  Susie,  gravely  assenting  to 
this  theory,  arranged  the  nuts  in  Mrs.  Smith's 
blue  saucers,  an  equal  number  in  each,  and  ate 
not  one ! 

Little  Sate  went  with  Jerry  to  give  the  invi- 
tations to  the  boys,  and  to  charge  them  to  keep 
the  whole  thing  a  profound  secret  from  Norm  ; 
they  came  home  by  way  of  the  Farley  woods, 


THE   CROWNING   WONDEB.  407 

and  little  Sate  appeared  at  the  door  with  her 
arms  laden  with  such  lovely  branches  of  autumn 
leaves,  that  Nettie  exclaimed  in  wild  delight, 
and  left  her  turnips  half-pealed  to  help  adorn 
the  walls  of  the  front  room.  This  suggested 
the  idea,  and  by  three  o'clock  that  room  was  a 
bower  of  beauty.  Red  and  golden  and  lovely 
brown  leaves  mixed  in  with  the  evergreen  tas- 
sels of  the  pines,  witli  here  and  there  pine  cones, 
and  red  berries  peeping  out  from  everywhere. 
"  You  little  darling,"  said  Nettie,  kissing  Sate, 
"  you  have  made  a  picture  of  it,  like  what  they 
paint  on  canvas,  only  a  thousand  times  lovelier." 

And  Sate,  looking  on,  with  her  wide  sweet 
eyes  aglow  with  feeling,  fitted  the  picture  well. 

So  the  feast  was  spread,  and  the  astonished 
and  hungry  boys  came,  and  feasted.  And 
Norm,  too  astonished  at  first  to  take  it  in,  began 
presently  to  understand  that  all  this  prepara- 
tion and  delight  were  in  honor  of  his  birthday  ! 
And  though  he  said  not  a  word,  aloud,  he  kept 
up  in  las  soul  a  steady  line  of  thought ;  the  cen- 
tre of  which  was  this  : 

"  I  don't  deserve  it,  that's  a  fact ;  there's 
mother  doing  everything  for  me,  and  Nettie 
working  like  a  slave,  and  the  children  going 


408       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     ANT)    THEIR   NETS. 

without  things  to  give  me  a  treat.  I'll  be  in  a 
better  fix  to  keep  a  birthday  before  it  gets 
around  again,  see  if  I'm  not !  " 

His  was  not  the  only  thinking  which  was  done 
that  day.  Rick,  merry  enough  all  the  afternoon, 
and  enjoying  his  dinner  as  well  as  it  was  possi- 
ble for  a  hungry  fellow  to  do,  nevertheless  had 
a  sober  look  on  his  face  more  than  once,  and 
said  as  he  shook  hands  with  Norm  at  night : 
"  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  my  boy,  if  I  had  your 
kind  of  a  home,  and  folks,  I'd  be  worth  some- 
thing in  the  world ;  I  would,  so.  I  ain't  sure, 
between  you  and  me,  but  I  shall,  anyhow;  just 
for  the  sake  of  getting  into  sueh  Thanksgiving 
houses  once  in  awhile.  By  and  by  a  fellow  will 
have  to  carry  himself  pretty  straight,  or  that 
sister  of  yours  won't  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him ;  I  can  see  that  in  her  eyes." 

Then  he  went  home.  And  cold  though  his 
room-  was  he  sat  down,  even  after  he  had  pulled 
off  his  coat,  as  a  memory  of  some  thoughtful 
word  of  Nettie's  came  over  him,  and  went  all 
over  it  again;  then  he  brought  his  hard  hand 
down  with  a  thud  on  the  rickety  table,  on 
which  he  leaned  and  said :  "  As  sure  as  you  live, 
and  breathe  the  breath  of  life,  old  fellow,  you've 


THE   CROWNING   WONDER.  409 

got  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf ;  and  you've  got  to 
begin  to-night." 

It  was  less  than  a  week  after  the  Thanksgiv- 
ing excitements  that  the  town  got  itself  roused 
over  something  which  reached  even  to  the  chil- 
dren. Jerry  came  home  from  school  with  it, 
and  came  directly  to  Nettie,  his  cheeks  aglow 
with  the  news.  "There's  to  be  the  biggest 
kind  of  a  time  here  next  Thursday,  Nettie; 
don't  you  think  General  McClintock  is  coming, 
to  give  a  lecture,  and  they  are  going  to  give  him 
a  reception  at  Judge  Bentley's  and  I  don't  know 
what  all,  and  the  schools  are  all  going  to  dismiss 
and  go  down  to  the  train  in  procession  to  meet 
him,  and  they  are  going  to  sing,  Hail  to  the 
Chief,  and  the  band  is  to  play,  See,  the  conquer- 
ing Hero  comes,  and  I  don't  know  what  isn't 
going  to  be  done." 

"  Who  is  General  McClintock  ?  "  said  ignorant 
Nettie,  composedly  drying  her  plate  as  though 
all  the  generals  in  the  world  were  nothing  to 
her. '  Then  did  Jerry  come  the  nearest  impa- 
tience that  Nettie  had  ever  seen  in  him ;  and  he 
launched  forth  in  such  a  wild  praise  of  General 
McClintock  and  such  an  excited  account  of  the 
things  which  he  had  done  and  said,  and  pre- 


410      LITTLE    FISHEKS  :    AND    THEIE   NETS. 

vented,  and  pushed,  that  Nettie  was  half  be- 
wildered and  delightfully  excited  when  he 
paused  for  breath.  Henceforth  the  talk  of  the 
town  was  General  McClintock. 

"  It  is  a  wonder  they  asked  him  to  speak  on 
temperance,"  said  Nettie,  disdain  in  her  voice :, 
she  had  not- a  high  opinion  of  the  temperance 
enthusiasm  of  the  town  in  which  she  lived. 

"  They  didn't,"  said  Jerry.  "  He  asked  him- 
self ;  they  wanted  him  to  talk  about  the  war,  or 
the  tariff,  or  the  great  West,  or  some  other 
stupid  thing,  but  he  said,  '  No,  sir !  the  great 
question  of  the  day  is  temperance,  and  I  shall 
speak  on  that,  or  nothing!'" 

"  How  do  you  happen  to  know  so  much  about 
him  ? "  Nettie  questioned  one  day  when  Jerry 
was  at  his  highest  pitch  of  excitement. 

"  Ho ! "  he  said,  almost  in  scorn,  "  I  have 
known  about  him  ever  since  I  was  born  ;  every- 
body knows  General  McClintock."  Then  Net- 
tie felt  meek  and  ignorant. 

Nothing  had  ever  so  excited  Jerry  as  the 
coming  of  the  hero ;  and  indeed  the  town  gen- 
erally seemed  to  have  caught  fire.  General 
McClintock  seemed  to  be  the  theme  of  every 
tongue.  Connected  with  these  days,  Nettie 


THE    CROWNING   WONDER.  411 

had  her  perplexities  and  her  sorrows.  In  the 
first  place,  Jerry  was  obstinately  determined 
that  she  should  join  the  procession  with  him  to 
meet  General  McClintock.  In  vain  she  protested 
that  she  did  not  belong  to  the  public  schools. 
He  did,  he  said,  and  that  was  enough. 

Then  when  Nettie  urged  and  almost  cried,  he 
had  another  plan  :  "  Well,  then,  we  won't  go  as 
scholars.  We'll  go  ahead,  as  private  individu- 
als; I'm  only  a  kind  of  a  scholar,  anyhow,  just 
holding  on  for  a  few  weeks  till  my  father  comes ; 
we'll  go  up  there  early  and  get  a  good  place  be- 
fore the  procession  forms  and  see  the  whole  of 
it.  I  know  the  marshal  real  well ;  he's  a  good 
friend  of  mine,  and  I  know  he  will  give  us  a 
place." 

It  was  of  no  use  for  Nettie  to  protest ;  to 
remind  him  that  the  girls  would  think  she  was 
putting  herself  forward,  to  say  that  she  had 
nothing  to  wear  to  such  a  gathering.  She  might 
as  well  have  talked  to  a  stone  for  all  the  impres- 
sion she  made.  She  had  never  seen  him  so  reso- 
lute to  have  his  own  way.  He  did  not  care 
what  she  wore,  it  made  not  the  slightest  differ- 
ence to  him  what  the  girls  said,  and  he  did  ask 
it  of  her  as  a  kindness  to  him,  and  he  should  be 


412       LITTLE    FISHEES  .*     AND    THEIR   NETS. 

hurt  so  that  he  could  never  get  over  it  if  she  re- 
fused to  go ;  he  had  never  wanted  anything  so 
much  in  his  life,  and  he  could  not  give  it  up.  So 
Nettie,  reluctant,  sorrowful,  promised,  and  cried 
over  it^in  her  room  that  night.  She  wanted  to 
please  Jerry,  for  his  father  was  coming  now  in  a 
few  weeks  perhaps,  and  Jerry  would  go  away 
with  him,  and  she  should-  never  see  him  again  ; 
and  what  in  the  world  would  she  do  without 
him?  And  here  she  cried  harder  than  ever. 
Then  came  up  that  dreadful  question  of 
clothes  ;  her  one  winter  dress  was  too  short  and 
too  narrow  and  a  good  deal  worn.  Auntie  Mar- 
shall had  thought  last  winter  that  it  would 
hardly  do  for  a  church  dress,  and  here  it  was 

still  her  best.     There  was  no   such  thing  as  a 

« 
new  one  for  the  present ;  for  mother  had  not 

had  anything  in  so  long,  she  must  be  clothed, 
and  Nettie  was  willing  to  wait ;  but  she  was 
not  willing  to  take  a  conspicuous  place  on  a 
public  day  and  be  stared  at  and  talked  about. 

However,  Jerry  continued  merciless  t.o  the 
very  last ;  nothing  else  would  satisfy  him.  He 
hurried  her  in  a  breathless  state  down  the  hill 
to  the  platform,  smiled  and  nodded  to  his 
friend  the  marshal,  who  nodded  back  in  the 


THE    CROWNING   WONDEB.  413 

most  confidential  manner,  and  perched  them  on 
the  corner  of  the  temporary  platform,  right  be- 
hind the  reception  committee  !  It  was  every 
whit  as  disagreeable  as  Nettie  had  planned  that 
it  should  be.  Of  course  Lorena  Barstow  was 
among  the  leaders  in  the  young  people's  proces- 
sion, and  of  course  she  contrived  to  get  enough 
to  be  heard,  and  to  say  in  a  most  unnecessarily 
loud  voice : 

"Do  look  at  that  Decker  girl  perched  up 
there  on  the  platform.  If  she  doesn't  contrive 
to  make  herself  a  laughing  stock  everywhere ! 
Girls,  look  at  her  hat;  she  must  have  worn  it 
ever  since  they  came  out  of  the  ark.  What  busi- 
ness is  she  here,  anyway?  She  doesn't  belong 
to  the  schools?" 

There  was  much  more  in  the  same  vein ;  much 
pushing  and  crowding,  and  laughing  and  hate- 
ful speeches  about  folks  who  crowded  in  where 
they  didn't  belong,  and  poor  Nettie,  the  tears 
only  kept  back  by  force  of  will,  looked  in  vain 
for  sympathy  into  Jerry's  fairly  dancing  eyes. 
What  ailed  the  boy  ?  She  had  never  seen  him 
so  almost  wild  with  eager  excitement  before. 
Judge  Barstow  and  Dr.  Lewis  were  both  on  the 
reception  committee,  of  course,  and  under  cover 


414       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

of  this,  their  daughters  wedged  their  way  to  the 
front,  and  whispered  to  the  fathers.  Loud 
whispers : 

"  Papa,  that  ridiculous  Decker  girl  and  the 
little  Irish  boy  with  her  ought  not  to  be 
perched  up  there  in  that  conspicuous  place. 
She  doesn't  belong  here,  anyway;  she  isn't  a 
scholar." 

Then  Judge  Barstow  in  good-humored  tones 
to  Jerry :  "  My  boy,  don't  you  think  you  would 
find  it  quite  as  pleasant  down  there  among  the 
others?  This  little  girl  doesn't  want  to  be  up 
here,  I  am  sure ;  suppose  you  both  go  down 
and  fall  behind  the  procession?  You  can  see 
the  General  when  the  carriage  passes ;  it  is  to  be 
thrown  open  so  every  one  can  see." 

Then  the  marshal:  "If  you  please,  Judge 
Barstow,  it  won't  do  for  them  to  try  to  get 
through  now.  The  crowd  is  so  great  they  might 
be  hurt;  there  is  plenty  of  room  where  they 
stand.  They  will  do  710  harm." 

Now  the  tears  must  come  from  the  indignant 
eyes.  No,  they  shall  not.  Jerry  doesn't  even 
wink.  He  only  laughs,  in  the  highest  good 
humor.  Has  Jerry  gone  wild  with  excitement  ? 
"  It  will  all  be  over  in  two  minutes,"  explains 


THE   CR6WNING   WONDER.  415 

Judge  Barstow.  a  He  wished  to  drive  directly 
to  his  hotel,  and  have  perfect  quiet  for  two 
hours.  He  declined  to  be  entertained  at  a  pri- 
vate house,  or  to  say  a  word  at  the  depot.  I 
suppose  he  is  fatigued,  and  doesn't  like  to  trust 
his  voice  to  speak  in  the  open  air ;  so  the  com- 
mittee are  to  shake  hands  with  him  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  and  show  him  to  his  carriage,  and 
not  wait  on  him  for  two  hours.  He  has  ordered 
a  private  dinner  at  the  Keppler  House.5* 

Suddenly  there  is  the  whistle  of  the  train,  the 
band  plays  See,  the  conquering  Hero  comes! 
With  the  second  strain  the  train  comes  to  a  halt, 
and  a  tall,  broad-shouldered  man  with  iron  gray 
hair  and  a  military  air  all  about  him  steps  from 
the  platform  amid  the  cheers  of  thousands. 
Now  indeed  there  was  some  excuse  for  Lorena 
Barstow's  loud  exclamations  of  disapproval ! 
There  was  Jerry,  pushing  his  way  among  the 
throng,  holding  so  firmly  all  the  while  to  Net- 
tie's hand  that  escape  was  impossible  —  pushing 
even  past  the  reception  committee,  notwithstand- 
ing the  detaining  hand  of  Judge  Barstow,  who 
says, 

"  See  here,  my  boy,  you  are  impudent,  did 
you  know  it?" 


416      LITTLE   FISHEBS:    AND 'THEIR    NETS. 

"I  beg  pardon,"  says  Jerry  respectfully, 
but  he  slips  past  him,  just  as  General  McClin- 
tock  with  courteous  words  is  thanking  the  com- 
mittee of  reception,  declining  their  pressing  per- 
sonal invitations,  his  eyes  meantime  roving  over 
the  crowd  in  search  of  something  or  somebody. 
Suddenly  they  melt  with  a  tenderness  which 
does  not  belong  to  the  soldier,  and  the  firm  lips 
quiver  as  his  voice  says :  "  O  my  boy  ! "  and 
Jerry  the  Irish  boy  flings  himself  into  General 
McClintock's  arms,  and  the  world  stands  agape ! 

Just  a  second,  and  his  hand  holds  firmly  to 
the  sack  which  covers  Nettie's  startled  frightened 
form,  then  he  releases  himself  and  turns  to  her : 
"Father,  this  is  Nettie! " 

"  Sure  enough ! "  said  the  General,  and  his  tall 
head  bends  and  the  mustached  lips  of  the  old 
soldier  touch  Nettie's  cheek,  and  the  cheering, 
hushed  for  a  second,  breaks  forth  afresh  !  It  is  a 
moment  of  the  wildest  excitement.  Even  then 
Nettie  tries  to  break  away  and  is  held  fast.  And 
an  officer  of  the  day  advances  with  the  military 
salute  and  assures  the  General  that  his  carriage 
is  in  waiting.  And  the  General  himself  hands 
the  bewildered  Nettie  in,  with  a  friendly  smile 
and  an  assuring :  "  Of  course  you  must  go.  My 


THE   CROWNING   WONDEB.  417 

boy  planned  this  whole  thing  three  months  ago  ; 
and  you  and  I  must  carry  out  his  programme  to 
the  letter."  Then  Jerry  springs  like  a  cat  into 
the  carriage,  and  the  scholars  sing,  Hail  to  the 
Chief,  and  the  carriage,  drawn  by  four  horses, 
rolls  down  the  road  made  wide  for  it  by  the 
homeguard  in  full  uniform,  and  the  General 
lifts  his  hat  and  bows  right  and  left,  and  smiles 
on  Nettie  Decker  sitting  by  his  side,  and  almost 
devours  with  his  hungry,  fatherly  eyes,  her 
friend  the  Irish  boy  on  the  opposite  seat.  And 
the  scholars  almost  forget  to  sing,  in  their  great 
and  ever-increasing  amazement. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE    PAST   AND    PBESENT. 

"XTETTIE  DECKER  sat  by  the  window  of 
her  father's  house,  looking  out  into  the 
beautiful  world;  taking  one  last  look  at  the 
flowers,  and  the  trees,  and  the  lawn,  and  all  the 
beautiful  and  familiar  things.  Saying  good-by 
to  them,  for  in  a  brief  two  hours  she  was  to 
leave  them,  and  the  old  home. 

She  is  Nettie  Decker  still,  but  you  will  not 
be  able  to  say  that  of  her  in  another  hour.  She 
has  changed  somewhat  since  you  last  saw  her  in 
her  blue  gingham  dress  a  trifle  faded,  or  in  her 
brown  merino  much  the  worse  for  time. 

To-day  she  is  twenty  years  old,  A  lovely 
summer  day,  and  her  birthday  is  to  be  celebrated 
by  making  it  her  wedding  day.  The  blue  ging- 
ham has  been  long  gone ;  so  has  the  brown 
merino.  The  dress  she  wears  to-day  looks  un- 
like either  of  them.  It  is  white,  all  white ;  she 
418 


NETTIE   DECKER   HAS   A  SUITABLE    DRESS    AT   LAST.  419 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  419 

has  a  suitable  dress  at  last  for  a  gala  day.  Soft, 
rich,  quiet  white  silk.  Long  and  full  and  pure  ; 
not  a  touch  of  trimming  about  it  anywhere* 
Not  even  a  flower  yet,  though  she  holds  one  in 
her  hand  in  doubt  whether  she  will  add  it  to  the 
whiteness. 

I  think  it  will  probably  be  pushed  among  the 
folds  of  soft  lace  which  lie  across  her  bosom ; 
for  that  would  please  little  Sate's  artist  eye,  and 
Nettie  likes  to  please  Sate. 

While  she  sits  there,  watching  the  birds,  and 
the  flowers,  and  thinking  of  the  strange  sweet 
past,  and  the  strange  sweet  present,  there  pass 
by  almost  underneath  the  window  two  young 
ladies ;  moving  slowly,  glancing  up  curiously  at 
the  open  casement,  from  which  Nettie  draws  a 
little  back,  that  she  may  not  be  seen. 

"  That  is  Nettie's  room  where  the  window  is 
open,"  says  one  of  the  ladies.  "  It  is  a  lovely 
room ;  I  was  in  it  once  when  the  circle  met 
there  ;  it  is  furnished  in  blue,  with  creamy  tints 
on  the  walls  and  furniture.  I  don't  think  I 
ever  saw  a  prettier  room.  Nettie  has  excellent 
taste." 

"  Do  you  say  her  brother  is  to  be  at  the  wed- 
ding?" 


420      LITTLE   FISHERS :    AND   THEIR   NETS. 

"  O,  yes  indeed  !  He  came  day  before  yester- 
day ;  he  is  a  splendid-looking  fellow,  and  smart ; 
they  say  he  is  the  finest  student  Yale  has  had 
for  years.  He  graduated  with  the  very  highest 
honors,  and  now  he  is  studying  medicine.  I 
heard  Dr.  Hobart  say  that  he  would  be  an  honor 
to  the  profession.  You  ought  to  hear  him  play ; 
I  thought  he  would  be  a  musician,  he  is  so  fond 
of  music,  and  really  he  plays  exquisitely  on  the 
organ.  Last  spring  when  he  was  home  he  played 
in  church  all  day,  and  I  heard  ever  so  many  peo- 
ple say  they  had  never  heard  anything  finer  in 
any  church." 

"  I  don't  remember  him.     Was  he  in  our  set  ?  " 

"  O  no  !  he  wasn't  in  any  set  when  you  were 
here.  Why,  Irene  Lewis,  you  must  remember 
the  Deckers !  .  They  weren't  in  any  set." 

"  Oh  !  I  remember  them,  of  course ;  don't  you 
know  what  fun  we  used  to  make  of  Nettie? 
Didn't  we  call  her  Nan?  I  remember  she  al- 
ways wore  an  old  blue  and  white  gingham  to 
Sunday-school." 

"  That  was  years  ago  ;  she  dresses  beautifully 
now,  and  in  exquisite  taste.  She  must  make  a 
lovely  bride.  I  should  like  to  get  a  glimpse  of 
her." 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  421 

"  The  McClintocks  are  very  rich,  I  have  been 
told." 

"  Oil !  immensely  so ;  and  they  say  General 
McClintock  just  idolizes  Nettie.  I  don't  won- 
der at  that ;  she  is  a  perfectly  lovely  girl." 

"  Seems  to  me,  Lorena,  my  dear,  about  the 
time  I  left  this  part  of  the  world  you  did  not 
think  so  much  of  her  as  you  do  now.  I  remem- 
ber you  used  to  make  all  sorts  of  fun  of  her, 
and  real  hateful  speeches,  as  schoolgirls  will,  you 
know.  I  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  a  flower 
party  where  she  was,  and  my  conscience,  I  re- 
member, troubled  me  at  the  time  for  saying  so 
many  disagreeable  things  about  her. that  after- 
noon ;  but  I  recollect  I  comforted  myself  with 
the  thought  that  you  were  much  worse  than  I. 
You  used  to  lead  off,  in  those  days,  you  know." 

"  Oh  !  I  remember ;  I  was  a  perfect  little  idiot 
in  those  days.  Yes,  I  was  disagreeable  enough 
to  Nettie  Decker;  if  she  hadn't  been  a  real 
sweet  girl  she  would  never  have  forgotten  it; 
but  I  don't  believe  she  ever  thinks  of  it,  and 
really  she  is  eo  utterly  changed,  and  all  the 
family  are,  that  I  hardly  ever  remember  her  as 
the  same  girl." 

"What  became  of  that  little  Irish  boy  she 


422      LITTLE   FISHERS  :     AND    THEIK   NETS. 

used  to  be  so  fond  of — Jerry,  his  name  was?  " 

"  Now,  Irene  Lewis !  you  don't  mean  to  tell 
me  you  have  never  heard  about  him!  Well, 
you  have  been  out  of  the  world,  sure  enough." 

"  I  have  never  heard  a  word  of  him  from  the 
time  I  went  with  Uncle  Lawrence  out  West. 
Father  moved  in  the  spring,  you  know,  so  in- 
stead of  my  coming  back  early  in  the  spring  as  I 
expected,  I  never  came  until  now  ?  What  about 
Jerry?  Did  he  distinguish  himself  in  any  way? 
I  always  thought  him  a  fine-looking  boy." 

"  That  is  too  funny  that  you  shouldn't  know  ! 
Why,  the  Irish  boy,  Jerry,  as  you  call  him,  is 
the  Gerald  McClintock  whom  Nettie  Decker  is 
to  marry  at  twelve  o'clock  to-day." 

"  Gerald  McClintock !  How  can  that  be  ? 
That  boy's  name  was  Jerry  Mack." 

"Indeed  it  wasn't.  We  were  all  deceived  in 
that  boy.  It  does  seem  so  strange  that  you 
have  never  heard  the  story  !  Why,  you  see,  he 
was  General  McClintock's  son  all  the  time." 

"  Why  did  he  pretend  he  was  somebody  else  ?" 

"  He  didn't  pretend ;  or  at  least  I  heard  he 
said  he  didn't  begin  it.  It  seems  that  Mrs. 
Smith,  the  car-man's  wife,  you  know,  used  to 
live  in  General  MoClintock's  family  before  his 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  423 

wife  died ;  and  Job  Smith  lived  there  as  coach- 
man. When  they  married,jGreneral  McClintock 
broke  up  housekeeping,  and  went  South  with 
his  family.  Then  Mrs.  McClintock  died,  and 
the  General  and  this  one  boy  boarded  in  New 
York,  and  Gerald  attended  school.  In  the 
spring  the  General  was  called  to  California  on 
some  important  law  business  —  you  know  he  is  a 
celebrated  lawyer,  and  they  say  his  son  is  going 
to  be  even  more  brilliant  than  his  father  —  well, 
the  father  had  to  go,  and  the  boy  made  him 
promise  that  he  might  spend  the  summer  vaca- 
tion with  Mrs.  Smith  out  here.  The  McClin- 
tocks  had  been  very  fond  of  her  and  her  husband 
and  trusted  them  both  ;  so  the  General  agreed 
to  it,  thinking  he  would  be  back  long  before  the 
vacation  closed. 

"  But  he  was  delayed  by  one  thing  and  another, 
and  the  boy  coaxed  to  stay  on,  and  study  in  the 
public  school  here  ;  he  was  a  pupil  in  Whately 
Institute  at  home.  Imagine  him  taking  up  with 
our  common  schools !  so  he  stayed  until  the  first 
of  December,  and  then  his  father  came. 

"  Such  a  time  as  that  was  !    You  see  we  all 

4! 

knew  of  General  McClintock,  of  course,  and 
when  it  was  found  we  could  get  him  to  lecture, 


424      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

the  people  nearly  went  wild  over  it.  We 
couldn't  understand  why  we  should  have  such 
good  fortune,  when  we  knew  ever  so  many 
places  —  large  cities  —  had  been  refused ;  but  it 
was  all  explained  after  he  came. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  day  when  he  came  ;  all 
the  schools  were  closed,  and  we  formed  a  pro- 
cession and  marched  to  the  depot,  and  the  band 
was  there,  and  great  crowds.  I  remember  as 
though  it  were  yesterday  how  astonished  we 
were  to  see  Nettie  Decker  and  that  boy  in  a  con- 
spicuous place  on  the  corner  of  the  platform. 
Nettie  had  on  her  old  brown  merino,  and  looked 
so  queer  and  seemed  so  out  of  place,  that  I  went 
and  spoke  to  father  about  it,  and  he  advised  them 
to  go  down  and  join  the  procession ;  but  it 
seems  the  marshal  knew  what  he  was  about,  and 
objected  to  their  moving.  Then  the  train  came, 
and  there  was  a  great  excitement,  and  in  the 
midst  of  it,  the  General  almost  took  that  boy 
Jerry  in  his  arms,  and  kissed  and  kissed  him ! 
Then  he  kissed  Nettie  Decker,  and  while  we 
stood  wondering  what  on  earth  it  all  meant, 
they  all  three  entered  an  elegant  carriage  drawn 
by  four  horses,  and  were  carried  to  the  Keppler 
House. 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  425 

I 

"They  had  an  elegant  private  dinner,  they 
three ;  and  in  fact  all  the  time  the  General  was 
here,  he  kept  Nettie  Decker  with  them  ;  he 
treated  her  mon*  like  a  daughter  than  a  stranger. 
I  don't  think  there  was  ever  such  an  excitement 
in  this  town  about  anything  as  we  had  at  that 
time ;  the  circumstances  were  so  peculiar,  you 
know." 

"But  I  don't  understand  it,  yet.  Why  did 
he  call  himself  Jerry  Mack  ?  What  was  his  ob- 
ject in  deceiving  us  all  ?  " 

"  He  hadn't  the  slightest  intention  of  doing 
so.  I  heard  he  said  such  a  thought  never  en- 
tered his  mind  until  we  began  it.  It  seems 
when  he  was  a  little  bit  of  a  fellow  he  tried  to 
speak  his  name,  Gerald  McClintock,  and  the 
nearest  he  could  approach  to  it,  was,  Jerry 
Mack.  Of  course  they  thought  that  was  cun- 
ning, and  it  grew  to  be  his  pet  name  ;  so  before 
they  knew  it,  the  servants  and  nil  his  boy  friends 
called  him  so,  all  the  time.  When  he  came  here 
Mrs.  Smith  and  her  husband  naturally  used  the 
old  name;  then  somebody,  I'm  sure  I  don't 
know  who,  started  the  story  that  he  was  an 
Irish  boy  working  at  the  Smiths  for  his  board  ; 
and  it  seems  he  heard  of  it,  and  it  amused  him 


426      LITTLE    FISHEKS:    AND    THEIR   NETS. 

so  much  he  decided  to  let  people  think  so  if 
they  wanted  to ;  he  coaxed  the  Smiths  not  to 
tell  who  he  was,  or  why  he  was  here  ;  and  they 
so  nearly  woi-shipped  him,  that  if  he  had  asked 
them  to  say  he  was  a  North  American  Indian  I 
believe  they  would  have  done  it.  It  seems  he 
liked  Nettie  Decker  from  the  first,  and  was  an- 
noyed because  she  wasn't  invited  in  our  set. 
But  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  how  we  were  to 
blame ;  she  had  nothing  to  wear,  and  how  were 
we  to  know  that  she  was  a  very  smart  girl,  and 
real  sweet  and  good  ?  The  Deckers  were  very 
poor,  and  Mr.  Decker  drank,  you  know,  and 
Norm  was  sort  of  a  loafer,  and  we  thought  they 
were  real  low  people." 

"  I  remember  Ermina  Farley  was  friendly 
with  Nettie,  and  with  the  boy,  too." 

"  O  yes,  Ermina  was  always  peculiar ;  she  is 
yet.  I  have  always  thought  that  perhaps 
Ermina  knew  something  about  the  McClintocks, 
but  she  says  she  didn't.  I  heard  her  say  the 
other  day  that  somebody  told  her  he  was  an  Irish 
boy,  whose  father  had  run  away  and  left  him ; 
and  the  Smiths  gave  him  a  home  out  of  pity ; 
and  she  supposed  of  course  it  was  so,  and  was 
sorry  for  him.  Then  she  always  thought  he  was 


THE    PAST    AND    PRESENT.  427 

handsome,  and  smart ;  well,  so  did  I,  1  must 
say." 

"I  wonder  who  started  that  absurd  story 
about  his  father  deserting  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure  ;  somebody  imagined 
it  was  so,  I  suppose,  and  spoke  of  it ;  such 
things  spread,  you  know,  nobody  seems  to  un- 
derstand quite  how." 

"  Well,  as  I  remember  things,  Jerry  —  I  shall 
always  call  him  that  name,  I  don't  believe  I 
could  remember  to  say  Mr.  McClintock  if  I 
should  meet  him  now  —  as  I  remember  him,  he 
seemed  to  be  as  poor  as  Nettie ;  he  dressed  very 
well,  but  not  as  a  gentleman's  son,  and  he 
seemed  to  be  contriving  ways  to  earn  little  bits 
of  money.  Don't  you  remember  that  old  hen 
and  chickens  he  bought?  And  he  used  to  go  to 
the  Parleys  every  morning  with  a  fresh  egg  for 
Helen ;  sold  it,  you  know,  for  I  was  there  one 
morning  when  Mrs.  Farley  paid  him." 

"I  know  it;  he  was  always  contriving  ways 
to  earn  money;  why,  Irene,  don't  you  remem- 
ber his  selling  fish  to  Ermina  Farley  that  day 
when  we  were  talking  down  by  the  pond?  I 
have  always  thought  he  heard  more  than  we 
imagined  he  did,  that  day ;  I  don't  clearly  re- 


428      LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIR    NETS. 

member  what  we  said,  but  I  know  we  were  run- 
ning on  about  Nettie  Decker  and  about  Jerry  ; 
I  used  to  sort  of  dislike  them  both,  because 
Ermina  Farley  was  always  trying  to  push  them 
forward. 

"I  would  give  something  to  know  exactly 
what  we  did  say  that  day.  For  awhile  I  did  not 
like  to  meet  any  of  the  McClintocks  ;  it  always 
seemed  to  me  as  though  they  were  thinking 
about  that  time.  But  they  have  been  perfectly 
polite  and  cordial  to  me,  always ;  and  Nettie 
Decker  is  a  perfect  lady.  But  I  know  all  about 
the  poverty.  It  seems  the  boy  Jerry  had  been 
very  fond  of  giving  away  money,  and  books,  and 
all  sorts  of  things  to  people  whom  he  thought 
needed  them ;  and  his  father  began  to  be  afraid 
he  would  have  no  knowledge  of  the  value  of 
money,  and  would  give  carelessly,  you  know, 
just  because  he  felt  like  it.  So  the  General  had 
a  long  talk  with  him,  and  made  an  arrangement 
that  while  he  was  gone  West,  Jerry  should  have 
nothing  to  give  away  but  what  he  earned.  He 
might  earn  as  much  as  he  liked,  or  could,  and 
give  it  all  away  if  he  chose ;  but  not  a  penny 
besides,  and  he  was  not  to  appeal  to  his  father 
to  help  anybody  in  any  way  whatever.  Of 


THE    PAST    AND    PBESENT.  429 

course  the  father  was  to  pay  all  his  bills  for 
necessary  things  —  they  say  he  paid  a  splendid 
price  to  the  Smiths  for  taking  care  of  him.  Poor 
Mrs.  Smith  cried  when  he  went  away,  as  though 
he  bad  been  her  own  child.  Well,  of  course 
that  crippled  him,  in  his  pocket  money,  but  they 
say  his  father  was  very  much  pleased  to  find 
how  many  schemes  he  had  started  for  earning 
money.  That  plan  about  the  business  was  his 
from  beginning  to  end,  and  just  see  what  it  has 
grown  to ! " 

"  What  ?  I  don't  know ;  remember,  I  only 
came  night  before  last,  and  haven't  heard  any- 
thing about  the  town  since  the  day  I  left  it." 

"  Why,  the  Norman  House,  the  most  elegant 
hotel  in  town,  is  the  outgrowth  of  that  enter- 
prise begun  in  the  Decker's  front  room!  Mr. 
Decker  owns  the  whole  thing,  now,  and  manages 
it  splendidly.  His  wife  is  a  perfect  genius,  they 
say,  about  managing.  She  oversees  the  house- 
keeping herself,  and  the  cooking  is  perfect  they 
say.  General  McClintock  was  so  pleased  with 
the  beginning,  that  he  bought  that  long  low 
building  on  Smith  street  that  first  time  he  was 
here,  and  fitted  it  up  for  Norman  and  Nettie  to 
run.  He  carried  his  son  away  with  him,  of 


430       LITTLE    FISHERS  :     AND    THEIE   NETS. 

course,  but  they  stayed  long  enough  to  see 
that  matter  fairly  under  way.  The  Norman 
House  is  managed  on  the  same  general .  prin- 
ciples ;  strictly  temperance,  of  course.  The 
General  is  as  great  a  fanatic  about  that  as  the 
Deckers  are,  and  the  prices  are  very  low  — 
lower  than  other  first-class  houses,  while  the 
table  is  better,  and  the  rooms  are  beautifully 
furnished.  They  say  it  is  because  Mrs.  Decker 
is  such  an  excellent  manager  that  they  can 
afford  things  at  such  low  prices.  Then,  be- 
sides, there  is  a  lunch  room  for  young  men,  where 
they  can  get  excellent  things  for  just  what  they 
cost;  that  is  a  sort  of  benevolence.  General 
McClintock  devotes  a  certain  amount  to  it 
each  year ;  and  there  is  a  splendid  young  man  in 
charge  of  the  room ;  you  saw  him  once,  Rick 
Walker,  his  name  is.  He  used  to  be  considered 
a  sort  of  hard  boy,  but  there  isn't  a  more  re- 
spected young  man  in  town  than  he.  He  is 
book-keeper  at  the  Norman  House,  and  has 
the  oversight  of  this  Home  Dining  Room.  You 
ought  to  go  in  there  ;  it  is  very  nicely  furnished, 
and  they  have  flowers,  plants,  you  know,  and 
birds,  and  a  fountain,  and  pictures  on  the  walls, 
and  for  fifteen  cents  you  can  get  an  excellent 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  431 

dinner.  Everybody  likes  Rick  Walker;  they 
say  he  has  a  great  influence  over  the  boys  in 
town,  almost  as  great  as  Norman  Decker ;  he 
used  to  be  in  charge  of  it  all,  before  he  went 
to  college." 

"  Still,  I  shouldn't  think  the  McClintocka 
would  have  liked  Nettie  Decker  to  be  in  quite 
so  public  a  place,"  interrupted  her  listener. 

"  Oh !  she  wasn't  public ;  why,  she  went  to 
New  York  to  a  private  school  the  very  next  win- 
ter after  the  General  came  home.  She  boarded 
with  them  ;  the  General's  sister  came  East  with 
him,  and  was  the  lady  of  the  house  ;  then  he  sent 
her  to  Wellesley,  you  know.  Didn't  you  know 
that  ?  She  graduated  at  Wellesley  a  year  ago. 
Yes,  the  McClintocks  educated  her,  or  began  it ; 
her  father  has  done  so  well  that  I  suppose  he 
hasn't  needed  their  help  lately.  He  is  a  master 
builder,  you  know,  and  keeps  at  his  business, 
and  owns  and  manages  this  hotel,  besides.  Oh ! 
they  are  well  off ;  you  ought  to  see  Mi's.  Decker. 
She  is  a  very  pretty  woman,  and  a  real  lady ; 
they  say  Nettie  and  Norman  are  so  proud  of 
her!  What  was  I  telling  you?  Oh  !  about  the 
room ;  they  have  a  library  connected  with  it, 
and  a  reading  room,  and  everything  complete  j 


432     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIB  NETS. 

it  is  Buch  a  nice  thing  for  our  young  men.  A 
great  many  wealthy  gentlemen  contribute  to 
the  library.  There  is  a  little  alcove  at  the 
further  end  of  the  reading  room,  where  they 
keep  cake  and  lemonade,  and  nuts  and  little 
things  of  all  sorts.  They  are  very  cheap,  but  the 
boys  can't  get  any  cigars  there ;  Fm  so  glad  of 
that.  The  Norman  House  is  in  very  great 
favor — quite  the  fashion,  and  it  makes  such  a 
difference  with  the  boys  who  are  just  beginning 
to  imagine  themselves  young  men,  and  who  want 
to  be  manly,  to  have  an  elegant  place  like  that 
frown  on  all  such  things.  My  brother  Dick, 
you  remember  him?  He  was  a  little  fellow 
when  you  lived  here  —  he  went  into  the  Norman 
House  one  day  and  called  for  a  cigar;  he  was 
just  beginning  to  smoke,  and  I  suppose  he  did 
it  because  he  thought  it  would  sound  manly.  It 
was  in  the  spring  when  Norman  was  at  home  on 
vacation,  and  it  seems  he  expressed  so  much  as- 
tonishment that  Dick  was  quite  ashamed;  I 
don't  think  he  has  smoked  a  cigar  since." 

u  The  Deckers  seem  to  be  quite  a  centre  of 
interest  in  town." 

"  Well,  they  are.  They  are  a  sort  of  excep- 
tional family  someway  j  their  experience  has 


THE   PAST   AND   PRESENT.  433 

been  so  romantic.  Mr.  Decker  has  become  such  a 
nice  man;  Deacon  Decker,  he  is,  a  prominent 
man  in  the  church,  and  everywhere.  Oh !  do 
you  remember  those  two  cunning  little  girls  ?  I 
always  thought  they  were  sweet.  Susie  is  a  per- 
fect lady ;  she  is  going  with  Nettie  and  her  hus- 
band to  Washington  ;  but  little  Sate  is  a  beauty. 
They  say  she  is  going  to  be  a  poet  and  an  artist, 
and  she  looks  almost  like  an  angel.  General 
McClintock  admires  her  very  much  ;  he  says  she 
shall  have  the  finest  art  teachers  in  Europe.  I 
never  saw  a  family  come  up  as  they  did,  from 
nothing,  you  may  say.  But  then  it  was  all  ow- 
ing to  that  fortunate  accident  of  being  friends 
with  Gerald  McClintock,  and  having  the  Farleys 
interested  in  them.  Did  I  tell  you  Norman  was 
engaged  to  Ermina  Farley?  O  yes!  they  will 
marry  as  soon  as  he  graduates  from  the  medical 
college,  and  then  he  will  take  her  abroad  and 
take  a  post  graduate  course  in  medicine  there. 
I  suppose  they  will  take  Sate  with  them  then. 
They  say  that  is  the  plan.  No,  I  certainly  never 
saw  anything  like  their  success  in  life.  Mrs. 
Smith  doesn't  believe  in  luck,  you  know,  nor 
much  in  money,  though  since  her  Job  has  a  posi- 
tion in  the  Norman  House  that  pays  better  than 


434     LITTLE  FISHERS:   AND  THEIR  NETS. 

carting,  they  have  built  an  addition  to  their 
house,  and,  Sarah  Ann  says,  "live  like  folks." 
She  is  housekeeper  at  the  Norman  House  —  Mrs. 
Decker's  right-hand  woman.  Mrs.  Smith  says 
the  Lord  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  Decker 
family ;  that  Nettie  came  home  resolved  to  be 
faithful  to  Him,  and  to  trust  Him  to  save  her 
father  and  brother,  and  so  He  did  it,  of  course. 
It  seems  she  and  Jerry  promised  each  other  to 
work  for  Norman  and  the  father  in  every  possi- 
ble way  until  they  were  converted;  and  they 
did.  I  must  say  I  think  they  are  real  wonder- 
ful Christians,  all  of  them.  I  like  to  hear  Mr. 
Decker  pray  better  than  almost  any  other  man 
in  our  meeting ;  and  as  for  Norman,  he  leads  a 
meeting  beautifully.  They  say  Mr.  Sherrill 
thought  at  first  that  he  ought  to  pi'each  ;  but 
now  he  says  he  is  reconciled  ;  there  is  greater 
need  for  Christian  physicians  than  for  ministers. 
Mr.  Sherrill  has  always  been  great  friends  with 
all  the  Deckers  ;  you  remember  he  was,  from  the 
first.  Norman  studied  with  him  all  the  time  he 
was  manairinsr  that  first  little  bit  of  a  restaurant 

o      o 

in  the  square  room  of  the  old  Decker  house. 
They  tore  down  that  house  last  month,  to  make 
room  for  a  carriage  drive  around  the  back  of 


THE    PAST   AND    PRESENT.  435 

their  new  house,  and  they  say  Nettie  cried  when 
the  square  room  was  torn  up. 

"  She  has  some  of  the  quaintest  furniture ! 
Sofas,  she  calls  them,  made  out  of  boxes ;  and  a 
queer  old-fashioned  hour-glass  stand,  and  a  bar- 
rel chair,  which  have  been  sent  on  with  all  her 
elegant  things,  to  New  York ;  she  is  going  to 
furnish  a  room  for  Gerald  and  her  with  them ; 
he  made  them,  it  seems,  when  they  bega'n  that 
queer  scheme.  Who  would  have  supposed  it 
could  grow  as  it  did  ?  It  really  seems  as  though 
the  Lord  must  have  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with 
it,  doesn't  it  ?  I  tell  you,  Irene,  it  is  wonderful 
how  many  young  men  they  have  helped  save, 
those  two.  It  seems  a  pity  sometimes  that  they 
could  not  have  told  us  girls  what  they  were 
about  and  let  us  help ;  but  then,  I  don't  know  as 
we  would  have  helped  if  we  had  understood  ;  I 
used  to  be  such  a  perfect  little  idiot  then  !  Well, 
it  was  Nettie  Decker  got  hold  of  me  at  last. 
Norman  signed  the  pledge  that  night  when  Gen- 
eral  McClintock  lectured  here,  and  during  the 
winter  he  was  converted ;  but  it  was  two  years 
after  that  before  I  made  up  my  mind.  I  was 
miserable  all  that  time,  too ;  because  I  knew  I 
was  doing  wrong.  And  I  didn't  treat  Nettie 


436      LITTLE    FISHEES:     AND    THEIR   NETS. 


wonderfully  well  any  of  the  time ;  but  when  she 
came  to  me  with  her  eyes  shining  with  tears, 
and  said  she  had  been  praying  for  me  ever  since 
that  day  of  the  flower  party,  I  just  broke  down. 

"  O  Irene,  there's  the  carriage  with  the  bride 
and  groom  and  Norman  and  Ermina.  Doesn't 
the  bride  look  lovely !  I  wish  they  had  had  a 
public  wedding  and  let  us  all  see  her !  But  they 
say  General  McClintock  thinks  weddings  ought 
to  be  very  private.  Never  mind,  we  will  see 
her  at  the  reception  next  week ;  but  then,  she 
won't  be  Nettie  Decker;  we  shall  have  to  say 
good-by  to  her." 

And  Miss  Lorena  Barstow  stood  still  in  the 
street,  and  shaded  her  eyes  from  the  sunlight  to 
watoh  the  bridal  party  as  the  carriage  wound 
around  the  square,  looking  her  last  with  tender, 
loving  eyes,  upon  Nettie  Decker. 


CHOICE   BOOKS 

FOR   READERS    OF  ALL  AGES 


Pansy  Books. 


The  Pansy  for  jSSS.  With  colored  frontispiece.  Edited  by 
Pansy. 

More  than  400  pages  of  reading  and  pictures  for  children  of 
eight  to  fifteen  years  in  various  lines  of  interest.  Quarto,  boards, 
1.35. 

Pansy  Sunday  Book  for  1889.  With  colored  frontispiece. 
Edited  by  Pansy.  Quarto,  boards,  1.25. 

Just  the  thing  for  children  on  Sunday  afternoon,  when  the  whole 
family  are  gathered  in  the  home  to  exchange  helpful  thought  and 
gain  pew  courage  for  future  work  and  study  which  the  tone  and 
excellence  of  these  tales  impart. 

Pansy's  Story  Book.  By  Pansy.  Quarto,  boards, 
1.25. 

Made  up  largely  of  Pansy's  charming  stories  with  an  occasional 
sketch  or  poem  by  some  other  well-known  children's  author  to 
give  variety. 

Mother's  Boys  and  Girls.  By  Pansy.  Quarto,  boards, 
1.25. 

A  book  full  of  stories  for  boys  and  girls,  most  of  them  short,  so 
all  the  more  of  them.  Easy  words  and  plenty  of  pictures. 

Pansy  Token  (A) ;  or  An  Hour  with  Miss  Streator.  For 
Sunday  School  teachers.  24010,  paper,  15  cts. 

Young1  Folks  Stories  of  American  History  and 

Home  Life.     Edited  by  Pansy.     Quarto,  cover  in  colors,  75Cts. 
Sketches,  tales  and  pictures  on  New- World  subjects. 

Youngf  Folks  Stories  of  Foreign  Lands.    Edited 

by  Pansy.      First  Series,  quarto,  cover  in  colors,  75  cts. 
Sketches,  tales  and  pictures  on  Old- World  subjects. 

Stories  and  Pictures  from  the  Life  of  Jesus. 
By  Pansy.  i2mo,  boards  5"  cts. 

The  life  of  Jesus  as  recorded  in  the  four  gospels  simplified  and 
unified  for  children. 

A  Christmas  Time.     By  Pansy.     t2mo,  boards,  15  cts. 
A  Christmas  stoi  v  full  of  Christmas  trees  and  sleigh-rides.     It* 
esson  i.'  the  joy  to  be  got  in  helping  others. 


Travel   and   History  for  Young 
Folks. 


Story  of  the  American  Indian  (The).    By  Elbridge 

S.  Brooks.     8vo,  cloth,  2.50. 

A  thorough  compendium  of  the  archaeology,  history,  present 
standing  and  outlook  of  our  nation's  wards.  .  .  We  commend 
it  as  the  bust  and  most  comprehensive  book  en  the  Indian  for  gen- 
eral reading  known  to  us."  —  Literary  World. 

Story  of  the  American  Sailor  (The).    By  Elbridge 

S.  Brooks.     Octavo,  cloth,  2.ro. 

The  first  consecutive  narrative  yet  attempted,  sketching  the  rise 
and  development  of  the  American  seaman  on  board  merchant  ves- 
sel and  man-of-war. 

Ned  Harwood's  Visit  to  Jerusalem.    By  Mrs.  S. 

G.  Knight.     Quarto,  1.25. 

Travel  in  the  Holy  Land.  The  manuscript  was  approved  by 
Rev.  Selah  Merrill,  for  many  years  U.  S.  Consul  at  Jerusalem. 
The  strictest  accuracy  has  thus  been  secured  without  impairing 
the  interest  of  the  story. 

Out  and  About.  By  Kate  Tannatt  Woods.  Quarto,, 
boards,  1.25. 

Cape  Cod  to  the  Golden  Gate  with  a  lot  of  young  folks  along, 
and  plenty  of  yarns  by  the  way. 

Sights  Worth  Seeing.  By  those  who  saw  them. 
Quarto,  cloth,  1.50. 

Eleven  descriptive  articles  by  such  writers  as  Margaret  Sidney, 
Amanda  B.  Harris,  Annie  Sawyer  Downs,  Frank  T.  Merrill  and 
Rose  Kingsley.  Copiously  and  beautifully  illustrated. 

Adventures   of   the  Early  Discoverers.     By 

Frances  A.  Humphrey.     410,  cloth,  i.oo. 

Real  history  written  and  pictured  for  readers  both  sides  of  ten 
years  old.  It  begins  with  the  mythology  of  discovery  and  comes 
down  to  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century. 

The  Golden  "West  r  as  Seen  by  the  Ridgway  Club.  By 
Margaret  Sidney.  Quarto,  boards,  1.75. 

Description  of  a  trip  through  Southern  California  taken  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ridgway  and  their  children.  The  careful  observations 
and  the  fine  illustrations  make  it  a  treasure  for  boys  and  girls. 

Days  and  Nights  in  the  Tropics.    By  Felix  L. 

Oswald.     Quarto,  boards,  1.25. 

The  collector  of  curiosities  for  the  Brazilian  museum  goes  on 
his  quest  with  his  eyes  open.  A  book  of  adventures  and  hunters' 
yarns. 


Illustrated  Stories  for  Young 
Folks. 


Youngr  Folks'  Cyclopedia  of  Stories.     Quarto, 
clotlt,  3.00. 

Contains  in  one  large  book  the  following  stories  with  many  illus- 


The  Cooking  Club  of  Tu-Whit  Hollow. 

What  the  Seven  Did  ;  or,  the  Doings  of  the  Wordsworth 
Club.  My  Margaret  Sidney.  Quarto,  boards,  1.75. 

The  Seven  are  little  cirl  neighbors  who  meet  once  a  week  at 
their  several  l<omes.  They  helped  others  and  improved  them- 
selves. 


Me  and  My  Dolls.     By  L.  T.   Meade.     Quarto,  50  cts. 
A  family  history.     Some  of  the  dolls  have  had  queer  adventures. 
Twelve  full-page  illustrations  by  Margaret  Johnson. 

Little  "Wanderers  in  Bo -Peep's  World.    Quarto, 
boards,  double  lithograph  covers,  50  cts. 


Polly  and  the  Children.  By  Margaret  Sidney.  Boards, 
quarto,  50  cts. 

The  story  of  a  funny  parrot  and  two  charming  children.  The 
parrot  has  surprising  adventures  at  the  children's  party  and  wears 
a  medal  after  the  fire. 


Five  Little  Peppers.     Bv  Margaret  Sidney.     I2mo,  1.50. 
Story  of   five   little  children  of  a   fond,  faithful  and  capable 
"  mamsie."    Full  of  young  life  and  family  talk. 

Seal  Series.  10  vols.,  boards,  double  lithographed  covers, 
quarto. 

Rocky  Fork,  Old  Caravan  Days,  The  Dogberry  Bunch,  by 
Mary  H.  Catherwood;  The  Story  of  Honor  Bright  and  Royal 
Lowrie's  Last  Year  at  St.  Olaves,  by  Charles  R.  Talbot ;  Their 
Club  and  Ours,  bv  John  PreMon  True;  From  the  Hudson  to  the 
Neva,  bv  David  Ker;  The  Silver  City,  by  Fred  A.  Ober;  Two 
Young  Homesteaders,  by  Throdora  Jenness;  The  Cooking  Club 
of  Tu-whit  Hollow,  by  Ella  Farman. 


Cats'  Arabian  NlgfhtS.  By  Abby  Morton  Diaz.  Quarto, 
clo'.h,  1.75;  board*,  1.25. 

The  wonderful  cat  story  of  cat  stories  told  by  Pussyanita  that 
saved  the  lives  of  all  the  cats. 


Natural  History. 


Stories  and  Pictures  of  "Wild  Animals.  By  Anna 
F.  Burnhara.  Quarto,  boards,  75  cts. 

Big  letters,  big  pictures  and  easy  stories  of  elephants,  lions, 
tigers,  lynxes,  jaguars,  bears  and  many  others. 

Life  and  Habits  of  Wild  Animals.  Quarto,  cloth, 
1.50. 

The  very  best  book  young  folks  can  have  if  they  are  at  all  in- 
terested in  Natural  History.  If  they  are  not  yet  interested  it  will 
make  them  so.  Illustrated  from  designs  by  Joseph  Wolf. 

Children's  Out-Door  Neighbors.    By  Mrs.  A.  E. 

Andersen-Maskell.     j  volumes,  12010,  cloth,  each  i.oo. 

Three  instructive  and  interesting  books :  Children  with  Animals, 
Children  with  Birds,  Children  with  Fishes.  The  author  has  the 
happy  faculty  of  interesting  boys  and  girls  in  the  wonderful  neigh- 
bors around  them  and  that  without  introducing  anything  which  is 
not  borne  out  by  the  knowledge  of  learned  men. 

Some  Animal  Pets.  By  Mrs.  Oliver  Howard.  Quarto, 
boards,  35  cts. 

The  experiences  of  a  Colorado  family  with  young,  wild  and 
tame  animals.  It  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  animal  books  we  have 
met  in  many  a  day.  Well  thought,  well  written,  well  pictured, 
the  book  itself,  apart  from  its  contents,  is  attractive.  Full  page 
pictures. 

Tiny  Folk  in  Red  and  Black.    Quarto,  boards,  35  cts. 

The  tiny  folk  are  ants  and  they  make  as  interesting  a  study  as 
human  folk  —  perhaps  more  interesting  in  the  opinion  of  some* 
The  book  gives  a  full  and  graphic  description  of  their  many  wise 
and  curious  ways  —  how  they  work,  how  they  harvest  their  grain, 
how  they  milk  their  cows,  etc.  It  will  teach  the  children  to  keep 
eyes  and  ears  open. 

My  Land  and  "Water  Friends.  By  Mary  E.  Bam- 
ford.  Seventy  illustrations  by  Bridgman.  Quarto,  cloth,  1.50. 

The  frog  opens  the  book  with  a  "  talk  "  about  himself,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  tells  us  all  about  the  changes  through  which 
he  passes  before  he  arrives  at  perfect  froghood.  Then  the  grass- 
hopper talks  and  is  followed  by  others,  each  giving  his  view  of 
life  from  his  own  individual  standpoint. 


Young  Folks'  Illustrated 
Quartos. 

Wide  Awake  Volume  Z.  Quarto,  boards,  1.75. 

Good  literature  and  art  have  been  put  into  this  volume.  Henry 
Bacon's  paper  about  Rosa  Bonheur,  the  great  painter  of  horses 
and  lions,  and  Steffeck  s  painting  of  Queen  Louise  with  Kaiser 
William  would  do  credit  to  any  Art  publication. 


Chit  Chat  for  Boys  and  Girls.    Quarto,  boards,  75  cts. 

A  volume  of  selected  pieces  upon  every  conceivable  subject. 
As  a  distinctive  feature  it  devotes  considerable  space  to  Home 
Life  and  Sports  and  Pastimes. 


Good  Cheer  for  Boys  and  Girls. 
Short  stories,  sketches,  poems,  bits  of  history,  biography  and 
natural  history. 


Our  Little  Men  and  Women  for  1888.  Quarto, 
boards,  1.50. 

No  boys  and  pirls  who  have  this  book  can  be  ignorant  beyond 
their  years  of  history,  natural  history,  foreign  sights  or  the  good 
times  of  other  boys  and  girls. 


Babyland  for  1888.    Quarto,  boards,  75  cts. 

Finger-plays,  cricket  stories,  Talcs  told  by  a  Cat  and  scores  of 
jingles  and  pictures.  Large  print  and  easy  words.  Colored 
frontispiece. 


Kings  and  Queens  at  Home.  By  Frances  A.  Hum- 
phrey.  Quarto,  boards,  50  cts. 

Short-story  accounts  of  living  royal  personages. 

Queen  Victoria  at  Home.  By  Frances  A.  Humphrey. 
Quarto,  boards,  50  cts. 

P.-II  picture  of  a  noble  woman  It  will  aid  in  educating  the 
heart  by  presenting  the  domestic  side  of  the  queen's  character. 


Stories  about  Favorite  Authors.     By  Frances  A. 

Humphrey.     Quarto,  boards,  jo  cts. 
Little  literature  lessons  for  little  boys  and  girls. 


Child  Lore.  Edited  by  Clara  Doty  Bates.  Quarto,  cloth, 
tinted  edpes,  2.25:  boards,  1.50. 

More  than  50,000  copies  sold.  The  most  successful  quarto  for 
children. 


Helpful  Books  for  Young  Folks. 


Danger  Signals.  By  Rev.  F.  E.  Clark,  President  of 
the  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor.  i2mo,  cloth,  75  cts. 

The  enemies  of  youth  from  the  business  man's  standpoint. 
The  substance  of  a  series  of  addresses  delivered  two  or  three 
years  ago  in  one  of  the  Boston  churches. 


Marion  Harland 's  Cookery  for  Beginners.  i2mo, 

vellum  cloth,  75  cts. 

The  untrained  housekeeper  needs  such  directions  as  will  not 
confuse  and  discourage  her.  Marion  Harland  makes  her  book 
simple  and  practical  enough  to  meet  this  demand. 

Bible    Stories.     By  Laurie  Loring.     410,  boards,  35  cts. 

Very  short  stories  with  pictures.  The  Creation,  Noah  and  the 
Dove,  Samuel,  Joseph,  Elijah,  the  Christ  Child,  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, Peter,  etc. 


The  Magic  Pear.     Oblong,  8vo,  boards,  75  cts. 

Twelve  outline  drawing  lessons  with  directions  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  little  folks.  They  are  genuine  pencil  puzzles  for  untaught 
fingers.  A  pear  gives  shape  to  a  dozen  animal  pictures. 


What  O'Clock  Jingles.  By  Margaret  Johnson.  Ob- 
long, 8vo,  boards,  75  cts. 

Twelve  little  counting  lessons.  Pretty  rhymes  for  small  chil- 
dren. Twenty-seven  artistic  illustrations  by  the  author. 


Ways  for  Boys  to  Make  and  Do  Things.    60  cts. 

Eight  papers  by  as  many  different  authors,  on  subjects  that  in- 
terest boys.  A  book  to  delight  active  boys  and  to  inspire  lazy 
ones. 


Our  Young    Folks  at  Home.    4*0,  boards,  i.oo. 

A  collection  of  illustrated  prose  stories  by  American  authors  and 
artists.  It  is  sure  to  make  friends  among  children  of  all  ages. 
Colored  frontispiece. 


Peep  of  Day  Series.  3  vols.,  1.20  each. 

Peep  of  Day,  Line  upon  Line,  Precept  upon  Precept.  Ser- 
mpnettes  for  the  children,  so  cleverly  preached  that  the  children 
will  not  grow  sleepy. 

Home  Primer.     Boards,  square,  8vo,  50  cts. 
A  book  for  the  little  ones  to  learn  to  read  in  before  they  are  old 
enough  to  be  sent  off  to  school.     100  illustrations. 


MOXTEAGLE.  By  Pansy.  Boston :  D.  Lothrop 
Company.  Price  75  cents.  Both  girls  and  boys 
will  llnd  this  story  of  Pansy's  pleasant  and  profit- 
able reading.  Dilly  West  is  a  character  whom  the 
first  will  find  it  an  excellent  thing  to  intimate,  and 
boys  will  find  in  Hart  Hammond  a  noble,  manly, 
fellow  who  walks  for  a  time  dangerously  near 
temptation,  but  escapes  through  providential  in- 
fluences, not  the  least  of  which  is  the  steady 
devotion  to  duty  of  the  young  girl,  who  becomes 
an  unconscious  power  of  good. 

A  DOZEN  OF  THEM.  By  Pansy.  Boston:  D. 
Lothrop  Company.  Price  GO  cents.  A  Sunday- 
school  story,  written  in  Pansy's  best  vein,  and 
having  for  its  hero  a  twelve-year-old  boy  who  has 
been  thrown  upon  the  world  by  the  death  of  his 
parents,  and  who  has  no  one  left  to  look  after 
him  but  a  sister  a  little  older,  whose  time  is  fully 
occupied  in  the  milliner's  shop  where  she  is  cm- 
ployed.  Joe,  for  that  is  the  boy's  name,  finds  a 
place  to  work  at  a  farmhouse  where  there  is  a  small 
private  school.  His  sister  makes  him  promise  to 
learn  by  heart  a  verse  of  Scripture  every  mouth. 
It  is  a  task  at  first,  but  he  is  a  boy  of  his  word, 
and  he  fulfills  his  promise,  with  what  results  the 
reader  of  the  story  will  find  out.  It  is  an  excellent 
book  for  the  Sunday-school. 

AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD.  Stories  from  Tlie  Pansy 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price,  $1.00.  A 
score  of  short  stories  which  originally  appeared 
in  the  delightful  magazine,  The  Pansy,  have  been 
here  brought  together  in  collected  form  with  the 
illustrations  which  originally  accompanied  them. 
They  are  from  the  pens  of  various  authors,  and 
are  bright,  instructive  and  entertaining. 


ABOUT  GIAXTS.  By  Isabel  S\nithson.  Boston : 
D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price  60  cents.  In  this 
little  volume  Miss  Smithson  has  gathered  together 
many  curious  and  interesting  facts  relating  to 
real  giants,  or  people  who  have  grown  to  an  ex- 
traordinary size.  She  does  not  believe  that  there 
was  ever  a  race  of  giants,  but  that  those  who  are 
so-called  are  exceptional  cases,  due  to  some  freak 
of  nature.  Among  those  described  are  Cutter, 
the  Irish  giant,  who  was  eight  feet  tall,  Tony 
Payne,  whose  height  exceeded  seven  feet,  and 
Chang,  the  Chinese  giant,  who  was  on  exhibition 
in  this  country  a  few  years  ago.  The  volume 
contains  not  only  accounts  of  giants,  but  also  of 
dwarfs,  and  is  illustrated. 


AMERICAN  AUTHORS.  By  Amanda  B.  Harris. 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price  §1.00.  This 
is  one  of  the  books  we  can  heartily  commend  to 
young  readers,  not  only  for  its  interest,  but  for 
the  information  it  contains.  All  lovers  of  books 
have  a  natural  curiosity  to  know  something  about 
their  writers,  and  the  better  the  books,  the  keener 
the  curiosity.  Miss  Harris  has  written  the  various 
chapters  of  the  volume  with  a  full  appreciation  of 
this  fact.  She  tells  us  about  the  earlier  group  of 
American  writers,  Irving,  Cooper,  Prescott,  Emer- 
son, and  Hawthorne,  all  of  whom  are  gone,  and 
also  of  some  of  those  who  came  later,  among 
them  the  Gary  sisters,  Thoreau,  Lowell,  Helen 
Hunt,  Donald  G.  Mitchell  and  others.  Miss  Har- 
ris has  a  happy  way  of  imparting  information,  and 
the  boys  and  girls  into  whose  hands  this  little 
book  may  fall  will  find  it  pleasant  reading. 


TILTIXG  AT  WINDMILLS  :  A  Story  of  the  Blue 
Grass  Country.  By  Emma  M.  Connelly.  Boston : 
D.  Lothrop  Company.  12mo,  §1.50. 

NOT  since  the  days  of  •'  A  Fool's  Errand  "  has  so 
strong  and  so  characteristic  a  "  border  novel "  been 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  public  as  is  now 
presented  by  Miss  Connelly  in  this  book  which  she 
so  aptly  terms  "  Tilting  at  Windmills."  Indeed,  it 
is  questionable  whether  Judge  Tourgee's  famous 
book  touched  so  deftly  and  yet  so  practically  the 
real  phases  of  the  reconstruction  period  and  the 
interminable  antagonisms  of  race  and  section. 

The  self-suflicient  Boston  man,  a  capital  fellow 
at  heart,  but  tinged  with  the  traditions  and  envi- 
ronments of  his  Puritan  ancestry  and  conditions, 
coming  into  his  strange  heritage  in  Kentucky  at 
the  close  of  the  civil  war,  seeks  to  change  by  in- 
stant manipulation  all  the  equally  strong  and  deep- 
rooted  traditions  and  environments  of  Blue  Grass 
society. 

His  ruthless  conscience  will  allow  of  no  com- 
promise, and  the  people  whom  he  seeks  to  prose- 
lyte alike  misunderstand  his  motives  and  spurn  his 
proflered  assistance. 

Presumed  errors  are  materialized  and  partial 
evils  arc  magnified.  Allerton* tilts  at  windmills 
and  with  the  customary  Quixotic  results.  He  is, 
seemingly,  unhorsed  in  every  encounter. 

Miss  Connelly's  work  in  this,  her  first  novel,  will 
make  readers  anxious  to  hear  from  her  again  and 
it  will  certainly  create,  both  in  her  own  and  other 
States,  a  strong  desire  to  see  her  next  forthcoming 
work  announced  by  the  same  publishers  in  one  of 
their  new  series — her  "  Story  of  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky." 


THE  AKT  OF  LIVING.  From  the  Writings  of 
Samuel  Smiles.  With  Introduction  by  the  ven-  ' 
erable  Dr.  leabody  of  Harvard  University,  and 
Biographical  Sketch  by  the  editor,  Carrie  Adelaide 
Cooke.  Bos 'on  :  D.  Lothrop  Company.  Price 
#1.00. 

Samuel  Suites  is  the  Benjamin  Franklin  of  Eng- 
land. His  sfyings  have  a  similar  terseness,  apt- 
ness and  f  ore  i ;  they  are  directed  to  practical  ends, 
like  Franklin  s;  they  have  the  advantage  of  being- 
nearer  our  til  le  and  therefore  more  directly  related 
to  subjects  ipon  which  practical  wisdom  is  of 
practical  use 

Success  in  life  is  his  subject  all  through,  The  Art 
of  Living;  ai  ;d  he  confesses  on  the  very  first  page 
that  "  happiness  consists  in  the  enjoyment  of  little 
pleasures  sea  tered  along  the  common  path  of  life, 
which  in  the  sager  search  for  some  great  and  ex- 
citing joy  we  are  apt  to  overlook.  It  finds  cleligrhf; 
in  the  perfoi  mance  of  common  duties  faithfully 
and  honorabl/  fulfilled." 

Let  the  reac  er  go  back  to  that  quotation  again  and 
consider  how  contrary  it  is  to  the  spirit  that  under- 
lies the  busim  :sses  that  are  nowadays  tempting  men 
to  sudden  for  tune,  torturing  with  disappointments 
nearly  all  wh< »  yield,  and  burdening  the  successful 
beyond  their  endurance,  shortening  lives  and  mak- 
ing them  wea  ry  and  most  of  them  empty. 

Is  it  worth  while  to  join  the  mad  rush  for  the 
lottery ;  or  tc  take  the  old  road  to  slow  success  ? 

This  book  <  »f  the  chosen  thoughts  of  a  rare  phil- 
osopher leads  to  contentment  as  well  as  wisdom ; 
for,  when  we  choose  the  less  brilliant  course  be- 
cause we  are  Hire  it  is  the  best  one,  we  have  the 
most  complet  2  and  lasting  repose  from  anxiety. 


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